TEHRAN — Iran’s government has allocated some 180 billion rials (nearly $5 million) to provide special students with school transport at no cost, the director for special students department of the Education Ministry has said.

There has been a fivefold increase in the budget allocated to the special students school transport as the budget was some 35 billion rials (nearly $1 million) in 2013, Majid Qadami told Fars news agency.

“Following through on the pledge we made, last year we provided special students living in underprivileged areas with free school transport and paid for 80 percent of the costs of the transport in other areas,” Qadami explained.

“It is scheduled to do the same in the current year as well and provided we get budget we pay for larger sums of the school transport in other areas as well,” he added.

MQ/MG