Seyed Hossein Hosseini, the Director General of the Transit and International Transport Office of the Road Maintenance and Transportation Organization, expressed concern regarding the fuel restrictions for transit trucks at the Dogharoun border. He explained that these restrictions are particularly applied to trucks entering the special economic zone, and drivers are only allowed to carry a maximum of 100 liters of diesel.
Protest against heavy fines
Hosseini pointed out that these restrictions lead to heavy fines for drivers who are legally transporting international cargo. He stated: "A driver who is traveling on an international route may face heavy fines due to having a little more fuel than the specified amount. This is while they also need fuel for their return trip."
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Distinguishing between smugglers and legal drivers
The Director General of the Transit and International Transport Office emphasized that there should be a distinction between a driver who is operating legally and someone who truly intends to smuggle fuel. Hosseini clarified: "If a truck with 200 or 300 liters of extra fuel intends to smuggle, the responsible authorities should deal with it; however, a driver who has loaded cargo from Bandar Abbas or Tehran and is heading to a destination abroad should not be fined for a small amount of extra fuel due to the possibility of smuggling."
He also pointed out that in some areas, fuel stations may not be available, and drivers face difficulties in securing fuel. According to Hosseini, "Today, truck drivers are facing a problem where at some stations, they may encounter a lack of diesel for several hours."
High number of truck movements
Hosseini noted the high volume of truck movements at the Dogharoun border, stating that approximately 800 to 900 truck entries and exits are recorded daily. The number of drivers facing these restrictions is quite significant, and he has repeatedly protested this issue.
The Director General of the Transit and International Transport Office of the Road Maintenance and Transportation Organization emphasized that there should be a distinction between combating fuel smuggling and the legal activities of the international transport fleet. He asserted: "For a driver who transports international cargo within the regulations and needs fuel to continue their journey, heavy fines cannot be imposed simply for having a small amount of extra fuel."
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