The condition of Iran’s road transportation sector, including its aging vehicle fleet and transportation infrastructure, has once again become a controversial issue. Recent remarks by Alireza Novin, a member of the Iranian regime’s Majlis (parliament), paint a picture of widespread problems in the transportation sector. According to him, these problems range from an aging fleet to deteriorating roads and continue to remain without effective solutions.
In remarks published on June 2 by the state-run Khaneh Eghtesad news outlet, Alireza Novin stated that approximately 60% of the country’s transportation fleet is worn out and obsolete. He described this situation as one of the transportation sector’s major challenges and referred to the fate of thousands of trucks stranded at the Turkish border.
An Aging Fleet and Thousands of Stranded Trucks
Novin said that approximately 10,000 trucks remain on the Turkish side of the border. According to him, these trucks have been left in limbo without any resolution, and the Turkish government has begun confiscating some of them.
The parliament member added that inquiries with government officials had been met with the explanation that the trucks had reached the border without the required import registration procedures. Nevertheless, he stressed that even if violations had occurred, the government should have taken action to resolve the status of these vehicles.
Novin stated that some of these trucks could have been used in efforts to modernize the aging transportation fleet. He further noted that, according to available reports, about 1,000 of the 10,000 trucks have already been confiscated by Turkish authorities.
The issue of the aging transportation fleet has repeatedly been raised by transportation experts and industry advocates in recent years. The deterioration of trucks and heavy vehicles not only increases maintenance costs but also has a direct impact on road safety. Under such circumstances, the unresolved status of thousands of trucks at border crossings has drawn significant criticism.
Another part of Novin’s remarks focused on the condition of the country’s roads and highways. Referring to the Zanjan–Tabriz freeway, he said that in its current state, the route resembles a rural road more than a standard highway.
The parliament member stated that numerous meetings had been held regarding the condition of this route. According to him, official warnings had been issued to the relevant regime officials, including the minister of roads and transportation, and the necessary correspondence had been carried out. However, these follow-ups have produced no tangible results.
Novin’s remarks come at a time when the condition of many of the country’s roads has long been a source of complaints from citizens and drivers. Aging infrastructure, inadequate safety facilities, and delays in implementing construction and development projects are among the issues repeatedly highlighted in official reports and media coverage.
This comes as Iran’s regime spends billions of dollars on the construction of missile cities to advance its destabilizing and war-driven policies in the region, as well as on nuclear projects that critics describe as being against the interests of the Iranian people.
