Ministry of Roads and Urban Development
The Ministry of Roads and Urban Development (, "Vezārat-e Rāh-e va Shahrsāzi") is an Iranian government body in charge of providing and regulating the country's transport infrastructure (including roads, railroads, shipping lanes and airways), as well as setting policies for the housing sector and construction industry. This Ministry was formed on 27 June 2011, when the two ministries of Housing and Urban Development and Roads and Transportation were merged. Companies and organizations, such as Iran Air, I.R. Iran Railways, and Iran's Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO) function under the supervision of  the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development. The Ministry follows a set of objectives and missions in the transport, urban development and housing sectors. These include, but are not limited to: formulating and implementing policies in these sectors, providing and maintaining infrastructure, creating national plans for urban development and fostering urban regeneration, coordinating efforts in the aforementioned sectors with the private sector, as well as administrative affairs on a national level. History. The ministry was founded in 1877 as the Ministry of Public Benefits at the time of Naseredin Shah. The ministry was responsible for roads and bridge construction as  well as their maintenance. After the formation of General Bureau of Roads in 1922, it was renamed as Ministry of Ways by a Parliamentary law in 1929. Later in 1936 Parliament passed a law to call it the Ministry of Roads, and again on July 6, 1974 it was renamed as Ministry of Roads and Transportation. Ministry of Roads and Transportation. Ministry of Roads and Transportation of Iran (), was the main organ of Iranian Government responsible for administration of roadway, railway, airway and seaway transport inside the country and transport connections between Iran and other countries. The last acting minister  was Ali Nikzad. The ministry consisted of five deputies as: In June 2011, Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and the Ministry of Roads and Transportation were merged into what was then called the Ministry of Transportation and Housing.