Peregraf
Bafel Talabani, the President of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), has temporarily lifted the ban on vehicles without license plates, allowing them to operate in Sulaymaniyah and surrounding areas until a legal solution is reached.
A source informed Peregraf that as of January 9, 2025, unlicensed vehicles are permitted back on the roads. “Bafel Talabani has instructed the relevant authorities to let these vehicles travel freely until the issue is resolved through legal procedures,” the source said.
This decision follows a meeting between Bafel Talabani and representatives of vehicle owners. Swara Omar, a representative of the unlicensed vehicle owners, confirmed the move and clarified, “While these vehicles are allowed back on the streets, they cannot be bought, sold, or newly imported. Owners must also comply with traffic laws.”
The announcement comes after rising tensions in Sulaymaniyah. On January 7, 2025, unlicensed vehicle owners staged protests against the continued confiscation of their cars. Demonstrators blocked a main road in the city, prompting clashes with security forces and the use of tear gas to disperse the crowd.
Protesters presented two key demands:
1. An immediate halt to the confiscation of unlicensed vehicles.
2. Permission for these vehicles to pass through security checkpoints in Sulaymaniyah.
Sulaymaniyah Governor Haval Abubakr acknowledged the concerns but admitted he lacked the authority to stop the vehicle confiscations, which stem from a December 2, 2024, directive by the High Security Committee of Sulaymaniyah.
The directive banned unlicensed vehicles from entering Sulaymaniyah city limits, leading to widespread confiscations. Enforcement has been stricter within Sulaymaniyah but more lenient in surrounding districts, allowing many vehicles to be relocated outside the city.
The Council of Unlicensed Vehicle Owners estimates that around 70,000 unlicensed vehicles exist across Sulaymaniyah, Halabja, Garmian, and Raperin. These vehicles are typically imported as scrap, repaired in southern Iraq, and smuggled into the Kurdistan Region.
Protesters argue that authorities facilitated the import and sale of these vehicles—sold for $5,000 to $15,000—only to penalize citizens now.
While bans on unlicensed vehicles are already strictly enforced in Erbil and Duhok, Sulaymaniyah’s decision to lift the restrictions temporarily provides relief to thousands of vehicle owners awaiting a permanent resolution.