On the eve of the World Day of Remembrance (WDR) of road traffic victims, deputy mayor of Traffic and Transportation Department at the Tehran Municipality (TM), elaborated on the measures taken to replace fuel powered motorcycles with electrical-operated alternatives in a bid to increase safety and fuel efficiency.
“Reckless driving and excessive speed by motorcyclists is the main cause of road deaths and injuries in Tehran.” Fuel powered motorcycles contribute 23 percent of air pollution and 25% of road accidents and deaths in Tehran. “This, in spite of accounting for only 6 percent of the daily transportation in the city,” Mehr news agency quoted Seyyed Jafar Hashemi as saying.
Noting that fuel powered motorcycles are associated with high air pollution and fuel consumption, Hashemi suggested turning to “environment-friendly electric motorcycles to increase fuel efficiency.”
Subsidized
Efforts are underway by the TM to launch electric motorcycles in the city with support from the Tehran City Council and “a substantial subsidy would be provided to motorcycle owners to purchase electric motorbikes.
Pointing to safety, efficiency and environmental advantages of electric motorcycles, he urged the government to provide subsidies and financial incentives to the buyers.
The WDR for road traffic victims is commemorated on the third Sunday of November each year which falls on November 16 this year. The TM’s transportation department will commemorate the day by reflecting on traffic incidents in the capital in the past year and remembering the victims.
