TEHRAN - Increasing inter-city trips in the last month of summer in Iran have sent gasoline and gasoil consumption to new highs, according to the head of the National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company (NIOPDC).

Keramat Veis-Karami said that since the beginning of Shahrivar, the last month of summer in Iran, on 22 August, gasoline consumption has reached 132 million liters per day, up by eight percent against the similar period last year when daily consumption of the product stood at 122 million liters.

He further said that since the beginning of the current Iranian calendar year of 1403, on 20 March, average daily gasoline consumption has hit 123 million liters, up by seven percent compared to the corresponding period last year, Shana reported.

On Saturday, 31 August, gasoline consumption reached new high of 142 million liters per day while a day earlier its consumption stood at 138 million liters which was mainly due to the summer holidays and the growing number of travelers who hit the roads.

According to the official, since the beginning of Shahrivar, 22 August, daily gasoil consumption has reached 65 million liters on average and sometimes the transportation sector’s gasoil consumption has risen by 14 percent which should be managed because the sector’s fuel consumption has gone up by 10 percent when compared with last year figures.

“In cooperation with other public and governmental bodies especially road transportation officials, we should move in a way that gasoil and diesel allocation to the trucks carrying cargos in intra-city and inter-city roads be based on the actual distance they travel.” the NIOPDC head told Shana.   

He also said that the increasing number of vehicles in the country, rising summer vacation trips, using air conditioners by cars in warm weather, and worn-out vehicles are several reasons behind rising gasoline consumption. 

It's noteworthy that cheap prices of gasoline and gasoil in Iran also tempt fuel smuggling. Turkey, Pakistan, and Afghanistan are among the main destinations where smuggling fuel to them is lucrative.

EF/MA