TEHRAN – Nearly 79 million passengers traveled across Iran’s roads in the first six months of this year using the country’s public transport fleet, the Road Maintenance and Transportation Organization said.

Dariyush Bagherjavan, head of the organization’s passenger transport office, said more than 7.38 million intercity trips were recorded, reflecting a 17 percent increase compared with the same period last year.

He called the surge a clear sign of growing public demand for road-based public transport.

He added that intercity bus and coach trips rose by more than 20 percent in September year-on-year, underscoring stronger passenger demand during peak travel periods. Transport companies, he said, supplement regular daily services with extra routes during peak times to meet demand.

Bagherjavan said safety standards remained satisfactory in the first half, citing the deployment of transport organization staff at terminals and close coordination with traffic police and operators to ensure passenger safety.

He also pointed to the Arbaeen pilgrimage as a major national travel event, crediting the participation of public transport companies for helping provide smooth and efficient services to pilgrims.

EF/MA