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Sun City Lacks Public Transportation Appeal for Most of the People
1403/02/26-13:13
Mohammad Reza Mehmandar stated: The traffic around the book fair at the Mosalla can be well managed. Sun City lacks much appeal in terms of public transport for most of the people.
In an interview with the news headquarters of the 35th Tehran International Book Fair, Mohammad Reza Mehmandar, former chief of Tehran's Traffic Police, mentioned: "Sun City lacks much appeal in terms of public transport for most of the people. However, the Imam Khomeini Mosalla is also in a special location; it is situated along the Shahid Modarres, Hemmat, and Resalat highways. These highways are the main arteries of the city and will be affected by the book fair, but people will have easier access to the book fair."
He continued: "Naturally, the Imam Khomeini Mosalla is much more suitable and better located for people to visit and use the book fair space compared to Sun City. The key point for holding the fair at the Mosalla is the proper management of visitor transportation, which can be achieved through good communication and cultural efforts to encourage people to use the subway and buses for commuting. If fewer people come to the fair by personal car and the police effectively control the traffic around the Mosalla, the fair will be well organized."
Mehmandar, who managed the traffic around the Mosalla during the book fair in his tenure as the chief of Tehran's Traffic Police, stated: "I have the experience of managing traffic during the book fair at the Imam Khomeini Mosalla despite some opposition. Thanks to the strong support of public transport, especially the subway, and good communication encouraging citizens to use public transport, along with special services provided from various parts of the city and important areas for visitors, there were no significant traffic problems, and if there was, issues were minimized."
The former chief emphasized the importance of communication and encouraging people to use public transport, adding: "If serious efforts are made in cultural promotion and citizens use their private cars less for the book fair and good public transport services are provided, I believe holding the book fair at the Imam Khomeini Mosalla will not cause major traffic problems for Tehran."
Mehmandar, who has visited book fairs in other countries, said: "Public transport infrastructure in city centers worldwide is of the highest standard and quality, and Tehran is no different. In most countries, book fairs are held in city centers, where excellent facilities are provided for citizens to use the fair. It should be noted that in other countries, the cost of using personnel cars, including parking and fuel costs, is much higher than in Iran. People are not only discouraged from using personal cars, but it is also mandatory for them as the costs are not economical, prompting them to use public transport to save money."
He added: "In our country, the cost of using personal cars is significantly lower than in other countries, and people prefer to use their cars for urban commuting. However, regarding the book fair at the Tehran Mosalla, we should pay attention to the suitable public transport capacities surrounding this venue."
The 35th Tehran International Book Fair, under the slogan "We Read, We Build," will be held from May 8 to May 18, 2024, at the Imam Khomeini Mosalla in person and on the ketab.ir platform.
