During the first 9 months of the current year (ends March20), road accidents in rural areas declined by 5%, compared to the previous year, said Seyed Hossein Mir Shafi, deputy minister of roads and urban development in rural transport affairs. He estimated that by the end of the year, the rate of accidents would decline by 7 to 8% compared to the previous year, when 1300 individuals lost their lives in rural roads accidents. At present, 105,000 km of rural roads has been asphalted and people’s access to asphalted roads will increase to 91%, on completion of an additional 17,000 km, which is on the ministry’s agenda.
