Gasoline consumption in Tehran hit a record high of more than 100 million liters in the week ending June 19. More than 100.2 million liters of gasoline was consumed in Tehran during the period (June 12-19), an increase of 6.3 million liters compared to the previous week, ILNA reported.
Gasoline consumption in the said period averaged 14.3 million liters per day, which shot up by 900,000 liters compared to the past week when the figure stood at 13.4 million liters.
Average daily consumption across the country of 80 million people increased by 1.4 million liters compared to the previous week. The news agency said 496.7 million liters of gasoline was consumed in the country during the week, up 7.3 million liters from the week before.
The government stopped selling subsidized gasoline to private car owners at the paltry price of 70,000 rials/liter from May 27. Regular gasoline is now offered at a single price of 10,000 rials (around 30 cents) for car owners nationwide without quota, while unleaded gasoline costs 12,000 rials a liter.
The government previously offered 60 liters of subsidized gasoline monthly to private cars and motorbikes with 1,800cc-capacity engines or below via smart fuel cards at 7,000 rials per liter.
But despite the increase in gasoline prices and the removal of subsidized gasoline, the price of gasoline in Iran is almost three times lower than the global average of $1.10, according to the latest data.
Economic experts and environmental activists are normally quick to blame the poor quality of locally-produced vehicles and the inefficient public transport system, among other things, for the high and rising gasoline use. High consumption figures continue to threaten the lives of Iranians, especially those suffering from respiratory ailments.
The economic harm of the high gasoline use aside, the health of an increasing number of Iranians in megacities is at risk along with the deepening impact on the environment, namely air and sound pollution as the number of new gas guzzlers increase across the country on a daily basis.
Tehran and several major cities are saddled with a seemingly unending air pollution problem. More than 17 million vehicles are currently commuting on Iran’s roads, a figure that is believed to be much higher than the roads and highways can handle, due to the doubling of the population over the past 30 years. Within Tehran – a city initially designed for, at most, four million people – the population now is in the neighborhood of 12 million and growing.
Tehranis own three million cars according to data released by the municipality with many households in the sprawling capital owning two to three cars.
