Traffic costs Tehran 20M hours per day

Citizens of the Iranian capital waste about 20 million hours in traffic jams each day, the latest analysis by Tehran Municipality shows. By several measures, the report found Tehran had the worst traffic in the entire country. The report stated that an average Tehran rush-hour driver wastes more than 1.5 hours a day in slow or stopped traffic. Based on the analysis of transportation experts in Tehran, traffic jams in the Iranian capital waste 13 million Tehran citizens around 20 million hours per day. Roads and alternatives like public transportation and telecommuting are not keeping pace with the increased number of kilometers people are driving, which is causing the congestion. “Tehran Municipality has put public transportation at the top of priorities of its urban policies,” said Tehran deputy mayor for transportation and traffic affairs, Jafar Tashakkori-Hashemi. "There's a combination of factors, like the amount of people, the amount of roadway to be considered in the matter. The demand-supply relationship in Tehran is falling apart. The capital is experiencing a lot more demand than there is supply." “In order to remedy the crisis, the government and the municipality need to cooperate. Tehran's subway system needs a $120-million investment, which should be provided jointly by the government and Tehran municipality,” Tashakkori-Hashemi noted.