PM announces new road safety protocols in response to Al-Hartha tragedy

BAGHDAD – The office of Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani has unveiled stringent safety measures aimed at safeguarding young pedestrians nationwide. The announcement – coming in response to a spate of tragic road accidents involving students – details a multi-pronged strategy to bolster security around schools, particularly those adjacent to highways and main roads.

Central to the new policy are the construction of pedestrian barriers, footbridges and the installation of speed bumps and traffic signs designed to slow vehicular traffic in school zones. These infrastructural changes are complemented by the strategic deployment of traffic and emergency patrols at peak times—during school opening and closing—to manage the flow of vehicles and enhance safety for students.

“The Iraqi government is dedicated to preventing incidents like the recent tragic accident at Al-Hartha School in Basra and ensuring the safety of students nationwide,” the prime minister’s office said in a statement. This commitment to action promises a coordinated effort involving the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Interior, with both departments tasked with the swift execution of the plan.

Monitoring teams, established in each governorate and reporting directly to the prime minister’s office, will oversee the implementation of these measures, ensuring that the initiatives achieve their intended impact on student safety.

On April 2, six students died and 14 were injured when a truck plowed into them as they left Zaynab Primary School in Al-Hartha, a city located in the northeastern part of Basra governorate. Following the fatal incident, protests erupted in Al-Hartha district demanding action. A driver has been apprehended.

Merely 24 hours after the Basra incident, two students were injured in a vehicle accident while leaving Al-Azhar High School in the Albu Hadary area of Kufa. They were transported to a hospital for medical treatment.

The Basra incident sparked nationwide concern over pedestrian safety around schools.

Four days later, communities in Najaf’s Al-Mishkhab and Al-Manathera voiced their concerns. With seven schools situated along a busy external road, residents are demanding “bold decisions” to ensure student safety, mirroring calls on social media and spotlighting the Industrial Secondary School as facing the “greatest risk.”

Traffic police in Tuz Khurmatu intensified safety initiatives in school zones in response to the Al-Hartha tragedy. The deployment aimed to both deter reckless driving and create a safe environment for student movement during peak hours. Despite these efforts, a motorcyclist hit a student after school hours just hours after the new measures were implemented, an incident captured on surveillance cameras.

In 2022, road accidents in Iraq claimed the lives of more than 4,900 people, an average of 13 per day, according to Health Ministry figures.

Conflict, neglect, and endemic corruption have left oil-rich Iraq’s infrastructure, including roads and bridges, in disrepair.

Officials often blame crashes on drivers ignoring speed limits, using mobile phones behind the wheel, and consuming drugs and alcohol.