Traffic schemes were reinstated in Tehran as of Saturday, despite concerns that the restrictions might push people to use public transportation services and worsen the spread of the Covid-19.
Under pressure from health officials, Tehran Municipality had agreed to suspend the scheme. However, the municipality relies on revenues generated from the schemes, therefore it has been pushing for the reinstatement of restrictions, IRNA reported.
Currently, three traffic schemes are underway in the capital, including Air Pollution Reduction, Air Pollution Control and the so-called Traffic Scheme. Each enforces different rules and restrictions on vehicles plying the capital’s streets to ease air pollution and traffic congestions, and fines drivers violating these rules.
Air Pollution Reduction bars dilapidated two- and four-wheelers from plying the city’s roads. All the vehicles in the metropolis are required to undergo automotive inspections and receive a technical certificate showing the vehicle meets automotive and emission standards. Those who are found in breach are fined.
Air Pollution Control is the other scheme running in the capital since the beginning of summer. As per APC, each vehicle can enter a "restricted zone" in central Tehran for free for a maximum of 20 days each season, or 80 days a year.
Spread over 88.5 square kilometers in central Tehran, the zone is bounded by Imam Ali Expressway in the east, Navvab Expressway and Chamran Highway to the west, Besat Expressway in the south and Hemmat Expressway in the north.
With Covid-19 in sight, urban managers have updated the scheme. Vehicles are barred from entering the area between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. on all days, except Fridays and national holidays.
Previously, the restrictions were in place between 6:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. If motorists wish to enter the zone more than the number of times allowed in the plan, they need to pay a toll fee.
Another so-called “Traffic Scheme” in central Tehran was enforced in an area limited by Motahari Street in the north, Shariati Street in east, Kargar (west) and Shoosh (south) whereby cars, except public transportation vehicles, are barred from entering the area between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. Entry by privately-owned vehicles will attract a fine.
The schemes were reinstated despite disagreement from Tehran Governor General Anoushiravan Mohseni Bandpei who believes the suspension of the scheme had helped curb the spread of the virus.
“During the period when Tehran’s traffic restrictions were suspended, the number of bus riders shrunk by an average of 100,000 people,” he said.
According to Tehran Bus Company, the number of bus passengers was around 800,000 daily in April. The transportation fleet used to move over 1.8 million people per day before the Covid-19 outbreak.
Bandpei says, “A review of the medical centers’ data illustrates that the average number of hospitalized coronavirus patients in the past several days has been steadily falling by around 60 per day.”
Partly attributing the development to the traffic rule suspension, Bandpei emphasized that sticking to the hygienic protocols and observing social distancing must be continued to reach a stable condition in the capital.
Iran's National Coronavirus Taskforce decided to suspend Tehran’s traffic restrictions in early August for the second round to curb the jostling crowd in the public transportation system and help break the Covid-19 infection chain. The traffic schemes resumed on Saturday.
The first round was implemented as of late March, after the coronavirus outbreak in Iran, to June 6.
Subway Status
However, some officials claim that the cancellation of traffic rules has failed to curb the crowd in the subway, contrary to expectations.
Two weeks after the second waiver, Tehran Metro’s CEO Farnoush Nobakht said the measure did not deliver the expected results, because the number of passengers flocking to the subway had increased.
“Traffic congestion in the city has pushed citizens who do not own a private car to use the traffic-free subway. The already crowded metro trains recently witnessed a 10% rise in the number of passengers,” he added.
Nobakht added that in the past week, the subway has moved around 5 million passengers.
“The figure is small compared to the pre-coronavirus times with 1.8 million passengers daily, but it is still hazardous for failing to observe the social distancing criteria,” he said.
Mohammad Alikhani, the head of Tehran City Council’s Transportation Commission, told reporters that the cancellation of traffic schemes is not beneficial for the public.
He said that with no traffic limitations in the central part of the city, people are encouraged to use private vehicles and increase unnecessary travels.
“Since the second waiver, even minor roads and streets in the city center have been clogged. This is not in line with social distancing criteria that has proved to be the most effective measure to ward off the disease,” he said.
“The more useful measure would be to upgrade the public transportation fleet through the addition of vehicles and subway trains. But unfortunately, the multi-dimensional and complex issue of coronavirus has been narrowed down to a mere traffic scheme waiver.”
Alikhani hoped that the traffic rules could be resumed soon.
Health Hazard
Health experts have repeatedly warned that the use of public transport can raise the risk of infection.
Senior officials issue daily warnings that the virus is spreading and the situation has worsened. However, the resumption of social and economic activities is making it very difficult to reduce mortalities and the number of hospitalizations.
According to the Health Ministry, public vehicles are more polluted compared to universities and schools, so extra care should be taken by commuters.
Urban managers say the ventilation system in subway trains is concentrated and the air inside cars is constantly circulating and combining with the air outside.
This means one sick person on a train can pollute the air in all vehicles, including taxis and public buses.
By August 22, the virus has infected 354,764 people in the country, of whom 20,376 have died. Based on the Health Ministry's regular reports, 305,866 patients have recovered.
