Tehran taxi drivers are facing serious problems in modernizing their fleet and rising prices. In a recent city council meeting, council members addressed the skyrocketing prices of vehicles, the broken promises of automakers in delivering taxis, and the livelihood difficulties faced by drivers, calling for an immediate resolution to this tangled issue.
Staggering Increase in Car Prices
Seyed Jafar Tashakori Hashemi, the head of the council's Urban Development and Transportation Commission, warned about the over 60% aging of the taxi fleet and criticized the staggering increase in car prices. He noted that the price of the Samand has risen from 400 million tomans at the beginning of the period to nearly 2 billion tomans, and even with a 42% increase in fares, the burden of inflation cannot be lifted from the shoulders of desperate drivers.
Tashakori Hashemi also referred to the availability of imported electric vehicles at a subsidized price of 1 billion and 700 million tomans and lamented the cold reception from drivers due to a lack of liquidity and uncertainty in the allocation of vans and electric taxis.
Attention to Drivers' Problems
Mehdi Aghrariyan, the head of the council's Legal Committee, emphasized that the surge in prices has even prevented line and circulating drivers from purchasing parts and consumables. He warned that without the entry of private sector investment and necessary regulations, taxis will soon become a luxury item out of reach for the general public.
Hojjatoleslam Mohammad Aghamiri, the head of the council's Urban Development Committee, referred to the supportive actions of city management and emphasized that the economic viability and financial capacity of drivers must be carefully considered in these plans. He also called for a quicker resolution and payment of expert costs to compensate for the damages to the damaged electric taxis.
Inability to Secure New Vehicles
Ali Rahimi, the CEO of the Tehran Taxi Management and Supervision Organization, responded to concerns about the halt in the delivery of 70 vehicles purchased from automakers. He stated that this halt was due to a new wave of price increases and the failure of drivers to secure stringent bank guarantees.
Rahimi also explained about the 370 Ion electric taxis present in the parking lots, stating that the damages to 170 of the affected vehicles have been fully covered by Iran Insurance, and 200 others are in the final stages of being assigned for entry into urban service.
Suggestions for Improving Drivers' Conditions
Mehdi Chamran, the head of the Tehran City Council, in response to reporters' questions, referred to the problems faced by drivers in modernizing their vehicles and tasked the Urban Development and Transportation Commission with developing operational solutions for financing and resolving drivers' issues in a specialized meeting. He also stated that organizing motorcyclists in Tehran is essential and necessary plans should be implemented soon.
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