The government is considering adopting a two-day weekend (Thursday and Friday) in Alborz Province in a renewed bid to curb air pollution.
Speaking in a ceremony to mark National Students’ Day on Monday at the University of Environment in the provincial capital Karaj, environment chief Massoumeh Ebtekar supported the move and called it “an effective solution that will hopefully reduce pollution in the province,” Mehr News Agency reported.
Currently, Iran is one of the two countries in the Muslim world that has yet to adopt a two-day weekend, making Friday the only day off. As it is, many offices across the country treat Thursday as a half day.
Ebtekar said Seyyed Hamid Tahaei, the governor-general of Alborz, had discussed matter with the Department of Environment and the government.
“Once our assessments show that the move will definitely lead to better air quality, we can push for a two-day weekend in Alborz,” she said.
Ebtakar, who doubles as vice president, pointed to large number of vehicles in Alborz, 25km west of Tehran, which usually cause traffic chaos and said the move could also help ease traffic in the highly congested province.
In response to whether other provinces might opt to follow suit if the plan is enacted, she said, “The matter should and will be discussed, but provincial authorities have a certain degree of autonomy in the matter.”
