Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Finally, embrace the chaos! Head to the corner of Jomhuri-ye Eslami Ave and Ferdosi St and engage a motorbike
taxi for a trip across town. Tell him you're in a hurry, and hold on. At Disneyland you'd pay good money for this
kind of white-knuckle ride; in Tehran it's just part of life.
POLLUTION
Tehran is one of the most polluted cities on earth. And according to the government, 80%
of the smog that covers Tehran for about 200 days a year comes straight out of the exhaust
pipes of the city's four million cars, trucks and motorbikes. There are other cities with
more cars, but few with as many crap cars. If Tehran's chief of traffic police is to be be-
lieved, the city's cars are so run down they emit, on average, 12 times more pollution than
'standard' cars. In fairness, poor fuel quality is also a contributor.
When pollution levels reach crisis point - often during winter - schools are closed and
radio warns the old and unwell to stay indoors. Even so, local media reports that more
than 5000 people die every year as a consequence of the air quality.
A 10-year plan to curb pollution has seen traffic restrictions introduced and billions
pumped into the Metro network, but has not had an impact on air quality. More than 2000
new cars are registered every day in Tehran, so expect clean air to remain a long way off.
When the pollution really starts to hurt your throat, head for the hills and relative purity of
Darband or Park-e Jamshidiyeh.
Emergency
If your emergency is not life threatening, ask your hotel's front desk for the most appro-
priate hospital or police station and help with translation. If that is impossible or the situ-
ation is urgent, call:
Ambulance
( 115)
Fire Brigade
( 125)
Police
( 110)
Internet Access
Many hotels offer internet, but not always wi-fi. Otherwise, there are hundreds of internet
cafes, called
coffeenets,
which open and close at a remarkable rate - and that's even be-
fore the regular government crackdowns. The following places have been around for
years. For other
coffeenets
look around major squares, usually upstairs, where the rent is
cheaper.
