Tehran, Iran, December 31
By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:
The Syndicate for Motorbike Producers of Iran is ready to replace old motorbikes with new ones, head of the syndicate Abolfazl Hejazi said, reacting to a wave of criticism over the increasing air pollution.
"I categorically refute the allegation that motorbikes produce more pollution than cars," he said, ISNA news agency reported.
The remarks came as Tehran has gone one week lying under a thick blanket of smoke that is largely blamed on vehicles. Health issues resulting from the pollution have been rampant in the meantime.
In recent months there has been a wave of allegations, claiming motorbikes are the major reason for the air pollution in Tehran, some claiming they produce multiple times more pollution than cars.
Hejazi said the production of motorbikes has plunged from 1.5 million in 2006 to less than 400,000 in the current year.
Over 300,000 of these go to provinces and only a small number are brought to Tehran, he pointed out.
He added the syndicate is prepared to flood Tehran with 100 new gasoline-powered motorbikes in one month, at the same time rejecting the idea of using electric bikes.
Last year the Iranian government announced it intended to place 400 electric motorbikes in Tehran.
Tehran in the cold season becomes afflicted with the conversion effect, which leads to a static mass of smoke hovering in the sky.