Negotiations with major European car manufacturers have begun for the production of automobiles to join Tehran's taxi service fleet, according to the deputy mayor and director of Tehran Traffic and Transportation Organization.
Speaking to Asriran, Seyyed Jafar Tashakkori Hashemi said any car that meets the standards of a suitable taxi will be taken into account whether it is locally made or imported.
"In order to renovate Tehran's taxi fleet, we have negotiated with major Asian and European carmakers whose products could be manufactured in Iran," he said.
"Tehran Municipality is pursuing the policy of patronizing manufacturers that can produce taxis of high quality."
Hashemi noted that all Peykan taxis are to be decommissioned by the end of the current Iranian year (ending March 19, 2016), as the first step toward taking worn-out vehicles off the taxi service.
The official announced that 1 trillion rials ($293 million at the market exchange rate) have been set aside by Tehran Municipality for the large-scale project.
Asked whether local cars are suitable to join the transportation system, Hashemi said the local cars are generally unfit for the purpose.
"The lack of automatic gears is a downside, which affects the physical health of drivers,' he said.
Hashemi did not say whether he was considering the global taxi favorite, Nissan's NV200, which has just been officially inaugurated in New York as its new taxi.
