Gela Kvashilava has over a decade of professional experience in road safety and sustainable transport issues. In 2006, he founded the non-profit foundation “Partnership for Road Safety” (PfRS). The Partnership for Road Safety promotes road safety and sustainable mobility through research, education, and advocacy in Georgia. Under his chairmanship, Partnership for Road Safety of Georgia was awarded the Road Safety International Award by HRH Prince Michael of Kent GCVO in December 2012, London, UK. At the PfRS, he is responsible for providing project management and consultation, developing new projects, building partnerships and communication with government institutions, businesses, and donor organizations. Currently, he also holds the position of Lead National Consultant for the UNDA Road Safety Project and is a regional consultant for the UK based organization, the Eastern Alliance for Safe and Sustainable Transport. He has consulted for the EU on TRACECA Road Safety Project II and contributed to the World Bank, ADB and TRACECA reports, making recommendations on road safety and sustainable transport issues. As a member of the EASST Advisory Board, he has contributed to road safety projects in Moldova, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine and Tajikistan. In the past, he has participated in the creation of new traffic police and abolishing corruption within traffic police of Georgia. He is one of the authors of the innovative projects “Friendly Roads” and “Cleaner Air for Georgian Cities”. Gela holds a PhD degree in Economics from the Tbilisi State University.
In 2013, Gela successfully finished post-graduate courses in Road Safety for Low and Middle Income Countries at Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands, and EASST/Cranfield Academy and Occupational Road Safety Management, a training course designed to improve knowledge and skills in managing occupational road safety, in the UK. In 2006, he won a leadership award from the British Government and participated in the John Smith Fellowship program on good governance and rule of law. In 2011, Gela Kvashilava was a participant in a program on regional cooperation and networking at the Central Eurasia Leadership Academy in Turkey. He is an author of several policy papers related to road safety and sustainable transport development issues. He has given several lectures during the annual Road Safety Scholarship Program of the FIA Foundation, sharing his experience with young road safety professionals from around the globe. At present he is visiting lecturer at the Georgian Institute of Public Affairs.