Diesel vehicle in Iran.

[radek]

Hello fellow travelers.
I know this is a motorbike forum, but I was wondering if those of you who visited Iran recently have any experience with diesel situation in Iran.
Searching the forum I found lot of helpful informations on petrol card situation and a black market, but not much on diesel.
I'm planning to spend 3-4 weeks there in April and cover over 4000km starting in Armenia and going down to the Gulf and back via Turkey. I was just told by Iranian Embassy in Prague that Iranians may not allow me into the country with a diesel vehicle. Partly due to fact that there is a shortage of Diesel stations. I'm planning to take 5 jerry cans which allow me to carry around 150 liters of diesel, which means I only need 3-4- refills and I was wondering if anybody remembers any petrol station with diesel pump.
Any info greatly appreciated.
Thank you very much.

[Robbert]

Yep,

Most of the petrol stations outside the cities have diesel actually. You'll see a line of trucks queing. Diesel drivers I came accross jumped the que and said they often where not allowed to pay... .

For Diesel you don't need a card, and it would be the first thing about diesel vehicles not being allowed in Iran I've heard of.

Rob

[radek]

Great news Rob. Thank you.
Shows how misinformed the Embassies are...
Radek

[danielsprague]

Just (Nov - Dec - Jan) spent 10 weeks in Iran with a diesel car. No problem entering the country; I've heard in the past some charges for diesel vehicels, though these may be for people without carnets or with transit visas. Be prepeared for anything at the border, they asked me for US$100 insurance, but I made a big fuss and waved my arms around and I left without shedding a dime. They may give you some transit document stating your route and tell you that you cannot stray from it. Mine gave me 7 days.... but I 'lost' it. Whenever the police stopped me (and they frequently did), my passport, and sometimes my carnet were always enough to get me free. You should technically get transit plates, but nobody said anything to me at the border, and the police always gave up haranguing me after a few minutes of me shouting TOURIST at them.

If you see you are being followed by a car, it's probably (overtly obvious) undercover police, but they're far more interested in your safety than busting you for being a spy etc.

Diesel can be found at big service stations, and is stupidly cheap (16.5 tomans = US $ 0.015), but there are not many service stations, so fill up every time you see one. Bandar Abbas has only ONE station, down near Shah Rajahee docks.

As you head east towards Pakistan, you may be asked for some permit to buy diesel. I just gave the guy my passport number, and he let me take 165 litres before I entered Pakistan, but maybe he was just nice (almost all Iranians are).

Always check your change at the pumps, try to fill up with a round amount. And take some gloves, because diesel pumps are invariable FILTHY, leaking old things. They don't stop when the tank is full, so stand to one side and wait for a fountain!

The government is planning to ration diesel (a crazy move given the amount of lorry traffic), and it could happen at any time. They gave about 5 hours notice before announcing petrol rationing, though they had already issued the cards. I don't believe any such cards exist for diesel as yet.

One final thing, the traffic in Iran is the worst I have ever seen, worse than India, Pakistan or Lebanon. The small cities are the worst, with mindless idiots pulling out from all sides without looking. Be very careful. If you don't buy insurance at the border, get it at a major city unless you like to gamble. Remember that blood money for killing a person is the rule in Iran, and it's 40,000,000 tomans at the moment, about $30,000. This isn't India.

Take care and enjoy Iran, it's 100% amazing.