Tehran's free transit Residents assess the scheme

Date unknown

IRINN revisits Tehran's metro and bus fare abolition, said to have begun more than seven months earlier. Selected riders praise lower travel costs and say ridership increased. The report attributes 91-percent satisfaction to surveys and lower traffic and pollution to officials. Karimi says the first half-year had the cleanest air in six years; electric buses and taxis are also cited as contributors. An official lists articulated, electric and other new buses. These are reported benefits, observations and official claims, without survey methodology or a demonstrated single-cause link between fares and air quality.

Tehran made metro and bus travel free more than seven months before the October 5 feature. IRINN's retrospective attributes higher ridership and lower travel costs to riders and 91-percent satisfaction, improved traffic and cleaner first-half air to surveys and officials, also citing electric fleet additions. These accounts describe direct consequences without proving fares alone caused pollution improvements. Exact launch day is unknown.