Iranian bus manufacturers recorded zero output during the Iranian calendar month of Aban (ended November 21), reported ISNA.
During the similar period last year, major bus manufacturers produced 32 buses, including 12 by Runiran company, two by Irankhodro Diesel, 3 by Zamyad, 6 by Akia, and 9 by Oghab Afshan.
Iran annually needs 4,000 buses to better equip its domestic transportation system. Since the 1970s, Iran has been producing buses jointly with European companies, including Germany’s Mercedes and MAN as well as Sweden’s Scania and Volvo. Daewoo Bus Corporation and Iranian automaker Ardebil Sabalan Khodro teamed up in 2010 to build buses. The joint venture was aimed at producing 800 city and intercity buses but the contract was terminated shortly afterwards and the Iranian company started another joint venture, producing Chinese buses.
A transportation analyst recently said while the global standard average age for intercity buses is less than 10 years, the figure is more than 15 years in Iran. Sassan Qorbani pointed to unsafe roads, amateur bus drivers, and old buses as the main challenges faced by the domestic transportation system, reported Khabar Online.
