TEHRAN – Average daily gasoline consumption in Iran fell to 44 million liters during the Iranian New Year (Norouz) holidays (March 20-April 3) following the travel restrictions applied amid the COVD-19 outbreak, IRIB reported.

According to Keramat Veiskarami, the managing director of the National Iranian Oil Products Distribution Company (NIOPDC), in the mentioned 15-day period the country’s gasoline consumption decreased by nearly 50 million liters compared to the figure for the previous year’s same period.

Iranians consumed 94 million liters of gasoline on average during the previous year’s Norouz holidays, Veiskarami said.

“Fortunately, the significant decrease in gasoline consumption is an indication of the people's conformance to the general recommendations of the Coronavirus Headquarters regarding the traffic bans during Norouz [holidays] this year, and it is hoped that this trend will continue in the coming days,” the official noted.

NIOPDC had previously announced the country’s average gasoline consumption for the previous Iranian calendar month of Esfand (February 20-March 19) to be 68 million liters, while the figure fell to 44.9 million liters in the first week of the holidays.

Iranian government has imposed an intercity travel ban in late March to prevent further spread of the coronavirus during the New Year holidays.

Gasoline consumption in Iran has already been following a downward trend since the implementation of a rationing plan by the government.

In mid-November 2019, the Iranian government started rationing of subsidized gasoline and increased fuel prices as part of a plan to reduce the energy subsides to use the revenue for supporting underprivileged families.

Later that month, deputy finance and economic affairs minister said the fuel rationing plan would make the country able to export 3.65 billion liters of gasoline every year and earn about 14 trillion rials (about $3.3 billion) from the exports.

EF/MA