The distribution had been accelerated and at the moment only 1.1 million smart cards had remained undelivered, Afshin Ahmadzadeh told PIN.

In response to a number of people’s and authorities’ criticism about problems happened in the distribution process, he said Pishtaz Co. personnel had been making round the clock efforts for more than a month.

Ahmadzadeh dismissed ignorance of his staff’s hard work as unfair, opining the emergence of some difficulties in such a huge countrywide project was natural.

“Since gasoline supply will be possible just by smart cards as of May 22, those car owners, who have not yet received their cards, need to call 09687 or 021-88675150 or to visit www.post.ir or www.epolice.ir to get further information,” the official added.

Minister of Petroleum Seyed Kazem Vaziri-Hamaneh voiced his ministry’s readiness to enforce the law on gasoline rationing as of due time, May 22.

He told reporters almost all of the fuel smart cards had been distributed and just a small portion, due to the lack of car owners’ full addresses, had been left in post offices.

However, the Energy Committee of Majlis (Iran’s parliament) has proposed for a three-month delay in gasoline rationing.

“Under current conditions, it is not possible to enforce the law and the government surely needs three-month time more to put the plan into action,” Seyed Emad Hosseini, a committee member, told PIN.

“According to the report of security authorities and officials the Ministry of Petroleum, necessary arrangements have not yet been made and if the law takes effect as of May 22, people will face great problems,” he added.

The lawmaker criticized the government for failing to define the gasoline quota and price of extra petrol by April 21.

Hassan Moradi, also an Energy Committee member said 160 MPs officially urged President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s government to make decision on gasoline quota of cars and the price of extra petrol by May 21.

The notification came at a time that the country is still grappling with mixed views on the project.

The lavish consumption by Iranian drivers, encouraged by the subsidized prices that work out less than a comparable amount of mineral water, forces OPEC’s No. 2 producer to import billions of dollars of extra petrol annually.