GPS Mandatory for All Cargo Vehicles

The Roads Maintenance and Transportation Organization has issued a directive that makes GPS trackers on cargo trucks mandatory.

The agency’s deputy director Shahram Adam-Nejad says, “The devices must be installed before March 2019. The move is aimed at improving transparency in the sector,” local automotive website Asre Khodro reported.

He said the plan serves two purposes, namely reduce road accidents via preventing heavy vehicles from exceeding speed limits and stopping fuel smuggling.

And estimated 360,000 cargo trucks ply the roads.

Almost a decade ago, a similar order was introduced for the passenger transportation network, but was never fully implemented.

 Road Safety

Adam-Nejad says, via GPS devices drivers’ compliance with traffic rules including speed limits can be monitored.

The agency is set to also introduce Hours of Service Regulations for drivers. The GPS system can be employed for monitoring that the regulation is carried out as intended.

In almost all developed and developing countries such regulations are applied. The rules limit the number of daily and weekly hours of driving and regulate the minimum amount of time drivers must rest between driving shifts.

Mishaps on Iranian roads cause thousands of deaths and injuries every year. Restrictions on hours of service can help reduce fatigue behind the wheels.

 Fuel Smuggling

The official further said GPS systems on public transport vehicles can help the government “keep a tab on fuel consumption and crack down on smuggling”.

Through GPS, authorities can monitor the distance covered by the vehicles and decide the amount of fuel each vehicle needs.”

Fuel is sold for heavy vehicles through smart cards. It makes it easier for authorities to regulate the amount of fuel given to each vehicle.

Millions of gallons of fuel are smuggled to some neighboring countries each month and remote surveillance can help to curb the illicit trade across borders.

Due to the significant difference in gasoline prices in Iran and the neighboring countries, fuel smuggling has become a pattern over the past decades. However, there is no way to reliably measure the amount of fuel involved and authorities refuse to give numbers.