$700 million in gasoline savings by expanding ridesharing

According to Energy Press, while a significant portion of Tehran’s daily traffic is caused by employees traveling by private cars, experts believe that strengthening shared trips in online taxis can be one of the most effective tools for reducing traffic and fuel consumption. In an interview with this media outlet, Hossein Mirafazli, an energy expert, emphasized the neglected potential of shared trips and called for the development of a specific policy package to support drivers and online taxi companies.
Tehran Traffic and the 50% Share of Employees
Mirafazli says that according to statistics, about 50% of Tehran’s morning traffic is caused by government and private employees. In his opinion, if only 20% of this group switched to shared trips, it would have a significant effect on traffic flow and reducing gasoline consumption.
Drivers have no incentive to share trips
According to him, online taxis and drivers do not have the necessary incentive to accept shared trips in the current situation; Because the fare does not increase much in this case, while the travel time becomes longer. On the other hand, the companies themselves prefer to send two cars for two passengers to earn more income.
Proposal to allocate gasoline subsidies to shared trips
Mirafazli suggests that the government and the Ministry of Petroleum allocate a certain amount annually – for example, $100 to $200 million – to support shared trips. This support can be paid in the form of a direct subsidy to shared trips, proportional to the number and distance traveled. In this way, the driver’s income will increase and online taxi companies will also be motivated to develop these services.
Free parking, encouraging the use of private cars
He considers another obstacle to the development of shared trips to be the free allocation of parking to employees. According to Mirafazli, while renting parking spaces in the free market is costly, many employees use office parking without paying, which encourages the use of private cars. He suggests that government agencies should consider charging employees for parking to reduce the incentive to use private cars.