'Our sole source of income'

Diyala’s Baqubah district tuk-tuk drivers rally against municipal restrictions

DIYALA — Hundreds of tuk-tuk drivers rallied Monday in Baqubah’s central square to protest a municipal decree banning their vehicles from the city center and other areas in Diyala Governorate. Demonstrators called on the governor and police leadership to intervene, arguing that the prohibition jeopardizes the livelihoods of low-income residents and individuals with disabilities.

Tuk-tuks, or auto-rickshaws, are three wheeled motorized carts commonly used for transportation worldwide.

Baqubah municipality recently described tuk-tuks as an “uncivilized phenomenon,” attributing the decision to broader urban regulation efforts. Protesters denounced the move as unjust, saying it leaves them with limited job options in a region already grappling with high unemployment rates.

“We demand the governor, police chief, and traffic director allow us to continue working inside the city,” said Hussein Ali, one of the protesters, speaking to 964media. “This is our only source of income. Among us are the people with disabilities, patients, and poor people. Why were these vehicles allowed to be imported if they are now deemed uncivilized?”

Ali added that tuk-tuk drivers were compelled to meet several requirements, including vehicle registration and licensing, driving up the cost of ownership to between 9 million and 11 million Iraqi dinars (about $5,980 to $7,309). He warned that ongoing economic hardship in Diyala could push some unemployed drivers into “illegal activities.”

Among those most affected by the ban is Ali Hussein Mahmoud, a disabled tuk-tuk driver who says he has no other way to earn a living. Another demonstrator, Kadhim Jabbar, urged the governor to reverse the decision, highlighting broader economic challenges among the so-called “generation of the 1990s,” who say they have struggled to secure public sector jobs in traffic or police departments. “The tuk-tuk is our sole source of income, and enforcing this decision means we will be left unemployed,” he said.

The protest in Baquba is not the first time tuk-tuks have proved controversial across Iraq. In January 2024, tuk-tuks in Al-Musayyib, north of Babil, came under scrutiny for alleged “traffic disruption” despite an ongoing registration campaign. Authorities imposed fines and cracked down on unregistered tuk-tuks to manage congestion. Meanwhile, prices for tuk-tuks in Maysan surged by 20% in February 2024 following a brief import halt, pushing the cost of new vehicles from 7 million to 9 million dinars.

In August 2023, some residents of Baghdad’s Al-Bayaa area called for a blanket ban on tuk-tuks—similar to restrictions in the nearby Sayyidah area—arguing that the vehicles caused “chaos” and contributed to accidents. Others defended them as a quick, inexpensive form of transportation.

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