Tehranis using major highways, tunnels, and bridges will perforce have to pay a toll following approval of the relevant rules soon, a city council official said.
The Tehran City Council (TCC) is considering an urgent bill for charging a toll on certain passageways in the capital, said Ahmad Donyamali, chairman of the council’s Civil and Transportation Commission, Mehr news agency reported.
“It is unfair to charge people who are not car owners or do not use them, while spending huge amounts on developing facilities for vehicle users,” said Donyamali.
If the bill is approved by February 4, it can be implemented from the next Iranian year (starting March 21), said the official. An ‘electronic’ mechanism will be used for the task “to help the smooth flow of traffic,” he said.
Explaining the details, he said “a chipset will be installed on automobiles, which on passing through the identified toll passageways, will automatically deduct the fee from the vehicle owner’s prepaid account.”
Drivers who refuse to pay the toll will be charged heavy fines, he warned. They can, however, choose to use alternative routes, he added.
“Vehicular traffic in the city is the leading cause of air and noise pollution as well as the high rate of road accidents,” Donyamali said, adding that simple measures like toll collection can help reduce traffic congestion.
