Domestic knowledge-based companies and startups active in the technology ecosystem have developed 17 innovative products to improve road traffic and reduce air pollution.
This was in response to the rising number of vehicles and inner-city trips that have worsened traffic and air pollution in major Iranian cities.
Across the world, this is accomplished by increasing the use of public transportation, improving passenger cars, organizing street networks, facilitating cargo transportation, using non-motorized transportation and creating related rules and regulations.
These products includes "Bluetooth Traffic Counter", "Radar Traffic Counter", "Accident Detection Software System", "Smart Recording of Violations Through Surveillance Cameras", "Emergency Vehicle Prioritization System", "Monitoring and Information Collection System", "Violation Registration Cameras", "Restricted Traffic Zones Licensing System", "Events Registration", "Telecommunications Infrastructure System", "Request for Installation of Traffic Logos", "Traffic Logos Issuance" and "Traffic Training Park", the news portal of Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology reported.
A traffic counter, for example, is an electronic device used to count, classify, and/or measure the speed of vehicular traffic passing along a given roadway. It helps ease road traffic and expand the use of public transportation system.
Tehran’s Air Condition Under Review
Charts regularly published by Tehran Air Quality Control Company’s website, Airnow.tehran.ir, indicate that “good” quality was recorded only for two days from March 21, 2021, until Jan. 16, 2022.
Also, 206 days were recorded as moderate, 88 days as unhealthy for sensitive groups and six days were recorded as unhealthy.
The index categorizes air conditions according to a measure of polluting matters into good (0-50), moderate (51-100), unhealthy for sensitive groups (101-150), unhealthy (151-200), very unhealthy (201-300) and hazardous (301-500).
TAQCC indicates that “good” status was not recorded from Dec. 22, 2021, to Jan. 16, 2022.
Statistics show that “moderate” status was recorded on more than one-third of the period with AQI hovering between 51 and 100 on 11 days.
Unfortunately, sensitive groups in Tehran suffer most from its toxic air. They were advised to limit their outdoor activities on 15 days, since AQI hovered between 101 and 150, marking an unhealthy status for the group.
Children, the elderly, pregnant women and those with respiratory and cardiovascular problems, all of whom fall in the sensitive group, are classed as sensitive.
High density of PM2.5 (the particulate matters smaller than 2.5 micrometers) and PM10 have been the main culprits behind the polluted days in December and January.
Health Risks and Culprits
Poor air quality has long troubled the residents of Iranian cities.
In the capital city, the mortality figure has crossed 5,000 a year, while road accidents take the lives of around 500 in Tehran, Traffic Police Chief for Roads Brigadier General Mohammad Hossein Hamidi said.
While the causes of poor air quality in the metropolis are debated constantly, the head of TAQCC earlier blamed 100,000 dilapidated passenger cars in Tehran.
Hossein Shahidzadeh added that over 3.43 million cars ply the capital’s streets every day, 100,000 of which are over 18 years old and have outlived their usefulness.
“Old cars emit 579,000 tons of toxins into the air annually, which come down to 1,586 tons per day,” he said.
Shahidzadeh noted that of all the pollutants spewed into Tehran’s air annually, these dilapidated cars are responsible for 82% of sulfur oxide, 23% of PM2.5 and PM10, 46% of carbon monoxide and 45% of nitrogen monoxide.
He also said PM2.5 is the most harmful pollutant due to its ability to penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstreams unfiltered, causing heart attacks, respiratory disease and premature death.
Shahidzadeh called the officials in charge to more seriously monitor the technical efficiency of cars plying Tehran’s streets. He also warned urban managers on the danger of canceling traffic rules for any reason.
However, comparisons have shown that the implementation of traffic schemes has not had much effect on curbing air pollution in the city.
With the outbreak of Covid-19 in the country, municipal bodies in Tehran lifted traffic restrictions in late March and early August to discourage people from using public transportation to curb the spread of the virus, but the measure led to clogged roads and heavy traffic.
According to Mohammad Rastegari, the head of the Department of Environment, in both rounds, the resumption of traffic schemes in the capital had close to zero effect on air pollution.
“Air quality data recorded daily by TAQCC show no decline in air pollution levels even after the resumption of traffic restrictions in the city,” he said.
Pointing to the decisive effect of environmental phenomena such as wind on air quality, the DOE official said wind can be much more effective than the most stringent traffic schemes, for it can disperse pollution and change air stability within a few hours.
This is why traffic schemes alone cannot reduce air pollution levels and can only cause minor alterations.
