Ahmad Taheri discussed the "car-free day," highlighting the significant share of the transportation fleet in air pollutant emissions in metropolitan areas, stating: In cities like Tehran and Mashhad, the transportation fleet has a dominant role in pollutant emissions; approximately 60% of particulate matter and 80% of gas pollutants in Tehran are emitted by this fleet.
Impact of Car-Free Day on Air Pollution
Taheri stated that the trend of pollutant changes over daily and long-term periods clearly shows the dominance of emissions from the transportation fleet in the formation of air pollution, adding: Any action that can be taken to reduce emissions from this fleet will directly impact air pollution and address the country's fuel imbalance.
Read more: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Proposes New Changes to Oil and Gas Emission Regulations
Reduction of Personal Vehicle Traffic and Its Impact on Air Quality
The head of the National Air and Climate Center, referring to the order issued for the implementation of car-free day, said: If this action leads to a real reduction in personal vehicle traffic and an increase in public transportation usage, it could have a significant role in reducing pollutants, especially in the cold season when the highest air pollution occurs.
Taheri continued, referring to heavy traffic in metropolitan areas: Currently, vehicles travel long distances at very low speeds and in stop-and-go conditions, resulting in a high volume of emissions from this section of the fleet.
He emphasized: If we can reduce traffic and the use of personal vehicles by about 10%, the reduction in emissions from vehicles will be more than 10%; because in this situation, we will also witness smoother traffic.
The head of the National Air and Climate Center stated: These actions will once again help solve the two main problems of the country, namely addressing fuel imbalance and air pollution.
Read more: Malaysia Introduced New Sensitive Marine Areas · Baltic Marine Index Increased by 35 Points to 2546 Points
