Iraq installs speed cameras, records 10,000 violations in first day

Rudaw Net

7 hours ago

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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq's traffic authorities installed speed cameras in Baghdad for the first time on Tuesday, recording 10,000 violations on the first day alone. The government also plans to expand the initiative to other provinces, an official said on Thursday.
Haydar Shakir, media director of Iraq's general directorate of traffic police, told Rudaw that they have installed speed cameras in five intersections in the Rusafa district of Baghdad. He added that the project will extend to all streets in the capital within a year.
In just the first 24 hours alone, more than 10,000 violations were recorded.
Speed cameras have long been in place in most areas of the Kurdistan Region. Previously, vehicles with Kurdistan Region license plates were not fined in federally controlled areas, but this has now changed.
'We have a unit called the Follow-up and Coordination Unit in the General Directorate of Traffic, through which information is exchanged between us and the Kurdistan Region,' the Iraqi official said, adding that 'any traffic violation committed in Baghdad will be dealt with based on the information that the Kurdistan Region requests."
Regarding the fine amounts, the official said: 'Crossing pedestrian lines and making illegal right turns is 50,000 dinars, using mobile phones while driving is 100,000 dinars, driving in the wrong direction is 200,000 dinars, running a red light is 200,000 dinars, and window tinting carries a fine of 200,000 dinars.'
One US dollar is worth nearly 1,400 Iraqi dinars.
According to Shakir, if a driver pays the fine within 72 hours after the violation, the fine will be reduced by half. If the fine is not paid within one month after recording the violation, the amount will be doubled.