Tehran, Iran, April 20
Trend:
The Mayor of Tehran who is on a visit to Iraq announced that Iranian companies have the proper capacity to build a subway in Iraq and said that the Joint Commissions of the two countries could be engaged in subway construction.
"Baghdad is a metropolis, and metropolitan cities usually have similar problems including traffic,” Tehran Mayor Pirouz Hanachi said at a meeting with Baghdad Governor Falah Hassan Al Jazaieri and chairman of the Baghdad Provincial Council Riyadh al-Azaz on April 19, Trend reports citing ISNA.
“The most effective way to eliminate traffic is the extension of the Metro network,” he added. “Two million passengers are moving through the Tehran's subway every day. According to the plans, we have to add 2,000 subway wagons to the current collection.”
“It would be advisable to decide on building subway in Baghdad as soon as possible. Iran's experience including overcoming the negative impact of over subsidizing the subway can be useful for you,” said Hanachi.
He continued by saying, “Currently, the residents and guests of Tehran pay one tenth of the real travel costs. This has laid a major burden on the municipality and the government; that is why the private sector will not enter into the subway development.”
In his words, Baghdad may start with fewer subsidies, so that it would be possible to attract more resources from the private sector and banks to develop the subway. Tehran Mayor also suggested that Iranian companies could participate in construction of the subway in Baghdad.