TEHRAN - The head of Iran’s government board secretariat has notified executive agencies of President Masoud Pezeshkian’s directive to reduce fuel consumption by expanding remote work and introducing a weekly “car-free day.”
Under the directive, all government agencies are required to take steps to minimize employees’ use of private vehicles for commuting. Agencies must designate one day each week as a “car-free day,” when employees and managers are expected to commute to work using public transportation, including buses and the subway.
Managers have been instructed to use appropriate incentives, awareness campaigns and support measures to encourage compliance and promote fuel conservation and greater use of public transportation.
Government agencies also are required, where possible, to expand remote work under existing regulations, particularly for employees whose duties can be performed remotely and those who live in cities surrounding their workplaces.
The directive further calls on agencies to promptly scrap government-owned older, inefficient vehicles in accordance with regulations governing Iran’s automotive industry. Replacement vehicles should be electric, gas-powered or hybrid models.
The Tehran municipality and other major cities also have been asked to cooperate in planning and facilitating the use of public transportation by government employees.
If you’d like, I can also make this more Reuters-style and tighter for publication as a news brief.