Sulaymaniyah activates average speed cameras on Halabja roads

SULAYMANIYAH — Sulaymaniyah’s traffic directorate announced Monday that point-to-point, or average speed, cameras will begin recording violations at noon on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2025, on roads leading to Halabja governorate and the Penjwen district.

The directorate said the cameras will be activated on the Arbat–Said Sadiq road in Halabja governorate as well as the Penjwen route, with enforcement covering both directions of travel. Speed limit signs have been installed along the roads, and drivers are required to comply with the posted limits, according to the announcement.

Sulaymaniyah traffic officials said the move aims to regulate vehicle speeds, reduce traffic accidents and protect public safety, urging drivers to adhere to the designated limits to avoid accidents and traffic penalties.

Point-to-point cameras calculate a vehicle’s average speed by measuring the time it takes to travel between two fixed points, rather than capturing speed at a single location. The system is designed to discourage drivers from slowing only near traditional cameras before accelerating again.

The Kurdistan Region has expanded the use of point-to-point cameras in recent years as part of broader road safety efforts. The system was first activated on May 29, 2023, on the Sulaymaniyah–Dukan road, and later extended to major routes in Erbil, Duhok and Garmiyan, including the Erbil–Pirmam, Shaqlawa–Qandil and Duhok–Zakho roads.

Kurdistan Regional Government Interior Ministry Diwan Director General Hemn Merany previously told 964media, “The installation of point-to-point cameras has been a successful experiment in protecting people’s lives and property.” Data provided by the Interior Ministry showed that monthly traffic accidents in Erbil fell from between 500 and 600 in the second half of 2022 to fewer than 200 in the same period of 2023 after the cameras were installed, a reduction of more than 50%.

Authorities have said the cameras apply to all drivers without exception and are part of a wider strategy to curb speeding and improve road safety across the region.