TEHRAN – Iranian Planning and Budget Organization (PBO) and Tehran municipality on Saturday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for renovating 31 subway trains and 10,000 public taxis.

The MOU was signed by PBO Head Mohammad-Baqer Nobakht and Tehran Mayor Pirouz Hanachi, IRIB reported.

As reported, over 100 trillion rials (about $2.3 billion) is allocated only for the renovation of the mentioned 10,000 taxis.

On the same day, Tehran Urban and Suburban Railway Operation Company also signed an MOU with Tehran Wagon Company for cooperation in building 105 wagons for the capital city’s urban railway fleet.

Tehran municipality had previously signed an MOU with Iran Khodro car manufacturing company to meet part of the transport fleet’s need for 3,000 buses.

“Tehran needs 3,000 buses to reduce waiting times at stops so that we will try to achieve this goal”, Hanachi had said in June 2020.

The Iranian government has been implementing several programs, including the renovation of the public transportation fleet and increasing the number of dual-fuel cars, for reducing the country’s fuel consumption and also for reducing air pollution in big cities.

In December 2020, President Hassan Rouhani had emphasized the need to modernize and develop the country's public transport fleet, and called for the necessary measures to be taken in this regard.

"To achieve the goals of the country's comprehensive transportation plans and to provide desirable services to citizens, the country needs to add new fleet.”

The Iranian transport and urban development minister had also said in February 2020, that the modernization of the country’s transportation fleet should continue in the form of a smart movement and bureaucratic processes should be minimized in this regard.

“The transport ministry has fulfilled all its commitments regarding the completion of a comprehensive transport system.” Mohammad Eslami said.

In September 2019, the Iranian deputy transport minister said the National Development Fund (NDF) of Iran allocated $1.6 billion for renovating the country’s transportation fleet.

“Upon President Rouhani's directive, National Development Fund will soon provide nearly $1.6 billion to renovate the transportation fleet,” Shahram Adamnejad said in a gathering of the country’s professional transport organizations.

EF/MA

Photo: PBO Head Mohammad-Baqer Nobakht (L) exchanges signed MOU documents with Tehran Mayor Pirouz Hanachi in Tehran on Saturday.