Speaker urges govt. to resolve Tehran Metro’s financial problems
Tehran Times Political Desk

TEHRAN - Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani says that the current problem of the Tehran Metro is lack of financial resources not bad management.

Thus, the administration should make efforts to resolve its financial problems, he told reporters at a press conference in Tehran on Monday.

“The Metro is vital for Tehran and that is why we have presented a proposal in the Majlis to allocate one billion dollars from the Foreign Exchange Reserve Fund to the Tehran subway” and another one billion dollars to subways in other cities, he added.

He also said that any decision about the Tehran subway should be made within the framework of the law.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced on November 11 that the administration plans to take over control of the Tehran Urban and Suburban Metro Company from the Tehran Municipality.

The Tehran Municipality was tasked with operating the Tehran Metro in 2001, but Ahmadinejad, who was the mayor of Tehran from 2003 to 2005, insists that the administration should now take control of the Tehran Metro.

On November 22, Tehran Mayor Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf said that the current problem of the Tehran subway system does not have anything to do with its management, but rather, the underground system suffers from a lack of funding.

According to the law, only municipalities are allowed to build and operate subway systems, and everyone should abide by the law, Qalibaf added.

Commenting on a national unity plan that was proposed after the post-election incidents, Larijani said national cohesion is a key issue because the Islamic system is based on Islamic democracy.

He went on to say that people who are involved in political disputes in the country should be aware that from a strategic point of view, the continuation of conflicts is detrimental to national interests.

He also said the implementation of the subsidy reform plan requires a calm atmosphere in society

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