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Kurdistan: Facing the challenge of
automobiles
1.8.2006
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Kurdistan-Iraq,
August 1, -- The flow of cars, both new and second
hand, into the Kurdistan Region has increased
greatly since the fall of Saddam Hussein’s Regime in
2003.
“In the last few months, around 800,000 cars have
been brought into Iraq, and a large portion of those
were imported into Kurdistan,” LTC Qadir Siddiq of
the Erbil Traffic Police Directorate stated. “We
register 30-40 cars every day.”
There are a number of exhibitions of new and used
cars in Erbil. Cihan Group Plaza, which opened a
showroom two years ago, sells cars manufactured by
Toyota and KIA.
“Our sales have increased by 70%,” Cihan manager
Hunar Abdul-Latif said.
Sales rates have fallen, however, in used car
exhibitions. “Sales have fallen by up to 35% here,”
revealed Najat Muhammed, manager of North
Exhibition.
The figures reflect the economic conditions of the
population. “Kurds are becoming better off and so
more of them can afford to purchase new cars,” Huner
explained.
Another car market in Erbil is the “ulouj” market.
“Ulouj” was the term used by the former Iraqi
Information Minister al-Sahhaf to describe American
soldiers in 2003, and is traditionally used by Arabs
as a term of humiliation for non-Arabs. Since 2003,
“ulouj” was used to label cars looted from the
fallen Baathist Government, many of which found
their way to the Kurdistan Region.
According to the Regional Government’s regulations,
said LTC Qadir, ulouj cars will be returned to any
one who can prove ownership. If not, the car will be
registered to whoever is currently in possession of
it.
Congestion on the roads of Kurdistan has been
exacerbated by the flow of people entering the
region from the rest of Iraq to escape violence and
terrorism. Pedestrians suffer from the enormous
number of cars on the streets, making it extremely
difficult to cross roads, and drivers are finding
themselves trapped in increasingly frequent traffic
jams.
There are several projects underway attempting to
alleviate the problem by constructing bridges and
widening roads.
The Erbil Traffic Police Directorate is also working
to reduce the number of cars on the roads and
recently issued a directive stating that a new car’s
license plate would have to be taken from an old
car, which would then be disassembled.
“This will also help the environment,” LTC Qadir
explained.
If one looks down on Erbil from some miles away, one
can see a black cloud hanging over the city. Old
cars, in particular, are contributing to this
pollution.
Car sellers, however, are not happy about the new
rules as it has made new cars more expensive. Huner
stated that his company was forced to pay an
additional $2000 to buy an old car in order to get a
license plate for a new one. “The government is
incompetent,” he complained.
The Kurdistan Region is likely to face an even
larger number of cars on its roads in the near
future. Overall, car prices have fallen by almost
10%, and look to plummet still further as a result
of competition. The authorities and residents will
have to act quickly to face this challenge.
HewlerGlobe
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