Tehran’s Traffic Police have fined over 170 smog-inducing commercial vehicles since the beginning of the current Iranian year (March 21) for violating the rules defined by the Air Pollution Control Scheme, the managing director of Transportation and Traffic Organization of Tehran Municipality says.
Mohsen Pour-Seyyed-Aqaei added that traffic police officials have been implementing roadside monitoring and testing of vehicles, TM's Public Relations Office reported.
"During the period, over 750 commercial vehicles were checked by technicians, 65 of which [8%] had not undergone mandatory technical inspection tests at all," he said.
According to the official, technical inspection licenses of the remaining 105 vehicles were voided by the police, as the vehicles had not been technically checked for a long time.
For commuting in Tehran, all vehicles and motorbikes must undergo technical inspection tests, otherwise violators will be fined.
“The drivers of gas-guzzlers are required to repair their vehicles and pass the tests as soon as possible,” Pour-Seyyed-Aqaei said.
The move is in line with the Air Pollution Control Scheme launched by TM in the capital in November 2018. The scheme bans clunkers from plying the streets of Tehran to help reduce air pollution.
As per the scheme, all four- and two-wheelers in the metropolis must acquire technical conformity papers that show the vehicle meets the required automotive and emission standards.
Since the launch of APR, over one million cars and two-wheelers have been fined in the capital for not having their vehicles go through mandatory technical checks.
Before the scheme became operational, Traffic Police were lenient with drivers of dilapidated and smoke-belching diesel-powered heavy duty vehicles.
