Erbil traffic police launch crackdown on unlicensed motorcycles after rise in traffic accidents

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Traffic police in the Kurdistan Region capital have launched a campaign to seize unregistered and unsafe motorcycles following an uptick in traffic accidents and increasingly annoyed locals. 

"We have recently received complaints from people at the huge number of motorcycles which harass them in Erbil.We have therefore launched a campaign to seize any motorcycle that is not registered with us," Fazil Haji, media officer for Erbil’s Traffic Directorate told Rudaw on Wednesday.

Haji said the campaign started on Tuesday night from the outlying sub-district of Bahirka.

"Last night we seized 40  unlicensed motorcycles," Haji said.

Drivers also complain about cyclists not abiding by traffic rules and disturbing people by the noise they make in residential areas.

Health officials have warned traffic accidents involving motorcycles are increasing.

According to Dr. Lawland Miran, manager of Erbil's Emergency Hospital, motorcycle accidents are a “daily phenomenon.”

According to Haji, there are no exact figures on the number of unlisenced motorcycles in the area.

While Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) banned the importation of motorcycles in 2012, motorcycles continue to be brought into the Kurdistan Region from across Iran and Iraq.

"Any motorcycles imported into the Region since then do not carry a licence," he said.

He added they have seized more than 3, 300 motorcycles over the past two years.

Translated by Zhelwan Z. Wali