Kurdistan traffic directorate announces fines for littering from vehicles

ERBIL — The Kurdistan Region’s General Directorate of Traffic announced new enforcement measures against littering from vehicles, warning that drivers who throw waste on roads will face fines under existing regulations.

In a statement issued Monday, the directorate said the measures were based on a 2016 Council of Ministers decision and a directive from the Interior Ministry. “For the protection of the environment and to preserve the cleanliness of Kurdistan, it is prohibited for drivers or passengers, while a vehicle is moving or stopped, to throw any type of waste or trash onto roads and streets,” the statement said.

The directorate said violators would face a fine of 40,000 Iraqi dinars ($26) for each offense involving a car or motorcycle.

According to the statement, the penalties will be integrated into traffic violation recording systems, including speed cameras and surveillance cameras.

Traffic officers have also been authorized to issue fines directly when violations are witnessed in person or documented through videos submitted by residents to traffic directorate platforms.

The directorate called on residents to cooperate in protecting the environment by avoiding littering and assisting authorities in identifying violators through photos and video recordings.

“We ask citizens to cooperate in protecting the environment and refrain from throwing waste and trash,” the statement said. “They can also assist traffic police by reporting violators through videos and photographs.”