“6 Percent Increase” in Inter-Provincial Traffic Following Lifting of Restrictions
The National Road Management Center announced the lifting of inter-provincial travel restrictions while reporting a 6 percent increase in traffic during recent hours.
The National Road Management Center, based on surveillance camera footage, stated that heavy vehicles accounted for approximately 18 percent of traffic.
According to this report, which was reflected in the government news agency IRNA, traffic on Iran’s northern roads was smooth on Monday morning, though heavy traffic was reported on parts of the Qazvin-Karaj highway.
Similarly, parts of the Karaj-Tehran highway experienced heavy traffic, and traffic on portions of the Shehriyar to Tehran route was moderate.
Iran’s National Coronavirus Combat Headquarters approved control of traffic and travel restrictions in 11 provinces in late Esfand.
Subsequently, at the beginning of Farvardin, the headquarters announced that “strict restrictions” would be implemented. These restrictions included preventing non-residents from entering Iranian cities.
These restrictions began at a time when the coronavirus had spread from initial outbreak centers, such as Qom and other areas, to various cities and provinces across the country.
Iranian authorities refrained from quarantining cities like Qom, and preventing non-local citizens from entering various parts of the country was largely carried out by citizens themselves and in some cases by citizens along with military and security forces.
In some cases, even municipal and provincial authorities in various locations called for implementation of travel bans, which, however, had no particular impact on the overall policy of the coronavirus combat headquarters in this regard until the end of the year.
In any case, Timur Hosseini, the head of the Traffic Police of the Law Enforcement Force, emphasized three days ago that the social distancing plan and inter-provincial travel restrictions would be implemented until the end of Farvardin.
Regarding the possibility of continuing the social distancing plan at provincial entrances, he stated: “No new directive has been issued.”
Source: Radio Farda
