Designs pending approval
Soran lacks modern terminal despite status as international transit route
SORAN – The Soran administration, which includes six districts and two international gateways currently lacks a modern terminal, a significant issue given its strategic importance for commerce and tourism.
The existing facility, located near the entrance of the city, consist of an outdated garage and a makeshift parking area, far from meeting the needs of a region that serves as a critical junction for travelers and trade, particularly at the Haji Omaran Border Crossing and Zit International Border gates on the borders with Iran and Turkey, respectively.
The terminal, as it used locally, serves as a hub for advanced garage, regulating traffic movement between different cities. It provided better resting areas and enhanced security, like Erbil terminal.
“The absence of a modern terminal poses a major challenge for the city,” Soran Transportation Director Barzan Mir Ali told 964media. “The existing facility doesn’t extend beyond a basic parking lot.”
Plans for a new terminal have been finalized, Mir Ali added, but the project’s location is still under consideration. The new facility could either be constructed to the west of the city or at the site of the current garage.
The current garage primarily serving the route between Soran and Erbil. Transportation fees from Soran to Erbil are set at 10,000 Iraqi dinars ($6.78) for taxis, and 6,000 Iraqi dinars ($4) for buses.
With the establishment of Soran University in 2009, a significant number of students from Erbil, Halabja, Sulaymaniyah, and Dohuk annually enroll in this institution, making the garage a crucial link for their movement.
Soran, with its scenic nature and snowy mountainous terrain, continually draws tourists and hikers, making the need for improved transportation infrastructure critical. The region, comprising six districts, 13 sub-districts, and nearly 800 villages, has a population of approximately 400,000.
