ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The spokesperson for the Erbil Traffic Directorate said on Thursday that vehicles bearing license plates from outside the Kurdistan Region are not exempt from traffic fines.
“Any vehicle that exceeds speed limit or commits any other traffic violation within our jurisdiction will be fined, whether it has a Kurdistan Region license plate, one from Iraqi federally-controlled areas, or another state,” Hemin Amin told Rudaw.
Amin rejected claims that vehicles from central and southern Iraq can avoid penalties due to the lack of administrative files in Erbil.
He explained that when such vehicles are stopped by traffic patrols, drivers are required to obtain a clearance from Erbil traffic, during which all outstanding fines are imposed.
A joint electronic platform between traffic authorities in the Kurdistan Region and federal Iraq was intended to link registration plate data, violations, and fines. However, Amin confirmed that the system has not yet been activated.
Despite this, officials say enforcement measures and new technologies have contributed to a sharp decline in traffic casualties across the Kurdistan Region.
Last month, Hemin Mirany, chief of staff to the Region’s interior ministry, said road deaths and injuries have dropped significantly "over the past five years," adding that they had been able "to reduce the rate of death and injury by 60 percent."
Mirany attributed the decline mainly to the introduction of point-to-point speed cameras on major highways across the Region. The system calculates a vehicle’s average speed between two locations instead of relying on a single camera. “These cameras have had a significant impact on reducing accidents,” he said.