The head of Iran’s Chamber of Commerce Transportation, Transit, and Logistics Commission has announced that Iran is being excluded from international road transportation.
Tejarat News reported that Iran is currently facing two main problems in the field of road transportation: the suspension of the International Motor Insurance Card System for the road fleet and the refusal of European countries to issue visas to Iranian drivers.
According to the report, the Council of Bureaux has suspended the use of the Green Card System for Iran’s Central Insurance since the beginning of 2024 due to the consequences of sanctions.
This suspension is a result of difficulties in processing damages for trucks covered by the Green Card System through banking networks, as well as the European Union’s restrictive regulations and communication problems with Iran’s central insurance.
As a result, the fate of 65,000 Iranian truck and transport drivers, who rely on the Green Card System, is at risk.
Currently, the only way for drivers to continue operating is to purchase insurance from other member states, which will significantly increase transportation costs, making export and import activities practically irrational and unprofitable.
Reza Mirhadi, an adviser to the Transport, Transit, and Logistics Commission of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, identified Iran’s Central Insurance as one of the culprits responsible for this issue.
In an interview with Donya-e Eghtesad, Mirhadi stated that sanctions cannot be solely blamed, as central insurance had ample time to adapt to the conventions.
He emphasized that many of the problems with visas are due to the lack of proper relations with countries, rather than sanctions.
Reza Rostami, the head of the Transport, Transit, and Logistics Commission of the Iranian Chamber of Commerce, also mentioned in an interview with Tejarat News that currently only Italy grants transit visas to Iranian drivers, and even then, only 20 visas are issued per week.
Rostami held the government and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs accountable for this situation, stating that they should engage with European countries such as Germany and Spain to facilitate the issuance of visas for Iranian drivers.
He highlighted that Turkish drivers may replace Iranian drivers in European countries under these circumstances.
Rostami pointed out that the suspension of Iran’s membership in the Green Card System has resulted in trucks having to obtain insurance through another country at a higher cost.
This increase in costs will subsequently lead to higher fares and put Turkish drivers in a more competitive position compared to Iranian drivers.
The regime’s tense foreign policies and malign activities have disrupted the lives of Iranian citizens and caused significant economic implications.
The regime’s priorities, including supporting Russia in the war with Ukraine, supporting Hamas in the conflict with Israel, backing the Houthi rebels, and contributing to the instability of the Red Sea, as well as supporting proxy groups associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Yemen, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine, have had a direct impact on the country’s economy and the livelihood of Iranian citizens.
Furthermore, transportation activists argue that the sanctions alone did not directly result in the suspension of Iran from issuing green insurance for the road fleet.
They claim that the government’s inaction and disregard for the problems are the primary causes of this issue.
The government’s refusal to address matters related to the Green Card System and implement laws based on international principles under the pretext of sanctions, combined with the weak negotiation efforts of officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Central Insurance, have cast a shadow over the fate of 65,000 Iranian fleets and related businesses.
