New Minister of Roads Allocates 'All Bus Capacity of the Country' to Arbaeen Pilgrims

Farzaneh Sadegh, Iran's new Minister of Roads and Urban Development, stated that 'all bus capacity of the country' will be dispatched to the borders to ensure that Iranian Arbaeen pilgrims do not face transportation issues. On Friday, September 2, she had a brief meeting with Ahmadreza Radan, the Commander of the National Police, at the Shalamcheh border and mentioned that a 'memorandum of understanding' was established with the Ministers of Oil, Industry, Mine and Trade, and the First Vice President in this regard. She said, 'More services should be provided to the pilgrims, and this path will continue with the help of the government and parliament in the coming years.' At the same time, Dariush Amani, the head of Iran's Road Maintenance and Transportation Organization, also stated that 'all public transport fleets of the country have been mobilized to provide optimal services' as the wave of returning pilgrims increases. Meanwhile, a significant part of Iran's intercity transportation system has already been designated for Arbaeen pilgrims. However, neither the Minister of Roads nor any other officials have specified what facilities will be available for other travelers intending to travel to other parts of the country during Arbaeen. The shortage or absence of intercity buses has faced reactions and criticism from citizens on social media. Yavar Sadeghi, an economic activist, pointed out on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that an Iranian citizen who pays taxes has the right to use public transportation services, writing, 'There is no intercity vehicle in the country.' Mohsen Heydari, a graduate of Tehran University, also noted that intercity buses have generally decreased on Iran's roads, stating that during Arbaeen, 'even this small number will be eliminated.' The human rights media outlet Halosh also published a video on social media X, stating that a 'rented bus from Pakistan' is transporting pilgrims to Karbala on the Kahir to Rozabad route 'in an unsafe manner, without hazard lights.' Halosh reported that these buses enter the country 'from the Taftan and Rimdan borders' and due to 'the opposite direction of road movement and the vehicle's steering and their dilapidation,' the presence of these buses on Iranian roads is dangerous. The overturning of a bus carrying Pakistani pilgrims on the night of August 30 in Yazd province resulted in at least 28 deaths and 23 injuries. This bus, which was moving from Iran's eastern borders in Sistan and Baluchestan towards the Chazabeh border in Khuzestan, had between 51 and 53 passengers, all of whom were reportedly Pakistani. At least 28 people died in the overturning of the bus carrying Pakistani pilgrims in Yazd. 'Technical failure in the braking system, the driver's unfamiliarity with the route, and the vehicle's dilapidation' were cited as the causes of this incident. The Arbaeen ceremony, held on the fortieth day after the martyrdom of the third Imam of Shia Muslims, has recently become a very large religious propaganda event due to the efforts of the Islamic Republic and significant budget expenditures. Millions of Shia Muslims, especially from Iran, gather in Karbala, Iraq, for mourning. Criticism of the shortage of buses and other public transportation means is once again heard, while Arbaeen is an annual event, and responsible officials in the Islamic Republic have had at least a year to meet the needs of all travelers, both religious and non-religious.