TEHRAN – The number of vehicles that ply in Tehran are 5 times above the capacity of the megacity’s streets, said Tehran’s police chief General Hossein Rahimi.

This is the main reason for the city’s heavy traffic congestion especially in mornings and evenings, Mehr quoted him as saying on Monday.

Rahimi also touched on the fact that the number of vehicles has increased by 30 percent during recent days because citizens are going out shopping for Noruz, the Iranian new year, starting March 21.

Car breakdowns, crashes and raining are among other causes for traffic, he added.

In a bid to promote the culture of safe driving, Tehran’s police department will send some lawful drivers to Russia 2018 World Cup, Rahimi concluded.

MAH/MQ/MG