Proposed legislation · Energy, infrastructure, water, environment and urban development

Public Transport, Urban Mobility and Road Safety Law

Document number
POL-60

Version
1.0

Publication/update date
7 October 2026

Scope
Republic of Iraq

Executive summary

The proposal establishes a unified legislative framework for public transport, urban mobility and road safety without adding a new federal body above existing institutions. It retains the General Traffic Directorate, Central Traffic Committee, State Company for Private Transport Management, public operators and local authorities, while clarifying their respective responsibilities and integration: urban network planning is local; standards, interoperability and national coordination are federal; traffic-rule enforcement remains under the Traffic Law; and road and public-transport safety become measurable shared responsibilities.

The Law prioritises services, not merely vehicle purchases. It requires demand-based mobility plans, operating contracts with regularity, safety and accessibility indicators, integrated ticketing and data, and realistic regulation of taxis, platforms, minibuses and tuk-tuks, with gradual transition for existing operators. Walking, cycling, parking, speed management and road-safety audits become part of one system, without duplicating fines or creating digital traffic offences outside the Traffic Law.

Current baseline

Official data show a persistent safety burden beyond urban congestion. In 2025, Iraq recorded 11,948 traffic accidents, resulting in 2,351 deaths and 11,564 injuries according to the Statistics and Geographic Information Systems Authority report based on Ministry of Interior data. Deaths declined from 2024, but human losses remain substantial, requiring systematic risk management rather than reactive responses.

11,948Recorded traffic accidents in 2025

2,351Recorded deaths in 2025

11,564Recorded injuries in 2025

21.5 per 100 thousandWHO estimated road-death rate in Iraq for 2021

The World Health Organization's Iraq profile highlights the distinction between reported deaths and epidemiological estimates: 5,563 reported deaths in 2021 versus an estimated 9,344, a rate of 21.5 per hundred thousand people. The proposal treats this difference as a reason to harmonise accident, death and injury definitions and link police, health and statistical data, rather than as a contradiction.

An existing operational institutional system cannot be disregarded: Traffic Law No. (8) of 2019 established a Central Traffic Committee and assigned traffic management to traffic police; the State Company for Private Transport Management regulates private passenger transport; and the State Company for Passenger and Delegation Transport operates a public fleet. In 2026, the Traffic Directorate expanded annual vehicle inspections and preparations for intelligent traffic systems. The Law therefore addresses integration and accountability gaps rather than assuming an institutional vacuum.

Constitutional and legal context

Urban transport is absent from exclusive federal competences in constitutional Article (110), while development and general planning policies are shared competences under Article (114). Article (115) assigns non-exclusive matters to regions and governorates outside regions, subject to constitutional precedence rules. The proposal is consequently a framework law establishing federal minimums for safety, interoperability and federal projects and programmes, leaving networks, routes, parking and demand management to competent local bodies.

Driving rules, licences, vehicle registration and traffic fines remain governed by Traffic Law No. (8) of 2019. Its Article (44) assigns traffic management to traffic police; Article (46) establishes a Central Traffic Committee including the Ministries of Interior, Transport, Construction, Housing and Municipalities, Baghdad Municipality and the Director-General of Traffic, tasked with improving operations and road safety. The proposal uses that committee rather than creating a parallel ‘safety authority’.

The proposal also coordinates with Public Roads Law No. (35) of 2002, amended by Law No. (5) of 2013, public-company and local-authority competences, and contracting, investment and environmental rules. Integration governs: the Traffic Law addresses drivers, vehicles and enforcement; the Roads Law covers infrastructure within its scope; and this Law addresses networks, services, planning and systemic safety.

Legislative gap

Iraq has transport and traffic institutions, roads, public buses and private transport, but responsibilities are split among planning, operations, traffic and municipalities. No unified framework links service levels to contracts, requires data and ticket interoperability, transitions informal transport, integrates walking, cycling and parking into transport policy, or connects safety audits with serious-injury data.

Digital enforcement modernisation alone is insufficient. The General Traffic Directorate explained in 2026 that changing fines requires legislation, confirming the need to distinguish technology from legal authority. Cameras or platforms cannot create penalties: technology detects and records; offences, penalties and objection rights derive from law.

Proposed legislative policy

Problem and legal instrument
Problem	Proposed treatment
Fragmented competences	Use existing institutions with clear allocation among local planning, transport regulation, traffic, roads, health and environment.
Focus on purchasing buses rather than services	Contracts specifying routes, frequency, reliability, safety, accessibility and auditable data.
Disorganised routes and small-scale transport	Gradually integrate existing operators through plannable contracts and permits rather than abruptly removing livelihoods.
Apps outside the transport system	Platform licensing, verification and insurance duties, trip records, data protection and transparent pricing.
Congestion addressed only through road expansion	Prioritise mass transit, parking and demand management, land-use integration, walking and cycling.
Safety relying solely on punishment	Safe System approach: design, speed, vehicles, behaviour, post-crash response and unified data.
Closed digitisation	Interoperability, non-personal open data and prevention of vendor data lock-in.
Opaque fare subsidies	Separate social and low-demand-route subsidies from commercial fares and disclose them in budgets or contracts.

Draft law

In the name of the people, and on the basis of enactment by the Council of Representatives under the Constitution, the following Law is proposed:

Chapter One — General provisions, definitions and principles

Article (1) — Title

This Law is entitled the ‘Public Transport, Urban Mobility and Road Safety Law’. It governs the general framework for planning passenger services within cities and between urban settlements, modal integration, user rights, institutional road safety and associated infrastructure.

Article (2) — Objectives

The Law aims to provide safe, accessible, affordable and reliable mobility; make mass transit, walking and cycling more attractive; reduce deaths, serious injuries, congestion, wasted fuel and emissions; link transport to urban and land-use planning; and improve financial and operational transparency and efficiency.

Article (3) — Constitutional scope

This Law applies to federal competences and programmes and governorates outside regions under the Constitution and applicable legislation. In regions, federal-competence provisions apply and shared competences are coordinated; the Law shall not diminish regions' constitutional powers.

Article (4) — No creation of monopolies

No public or private body gains an exclusive passenger-transport right except through a fixed-term contract or concession lawfully concluded with its justification and scope disclosed. Public, private and cooperative operations may coexist within one network and common service standards.

Article (5) — Basic definitions

Public transport means passenger services available to the public on a route, within an area or through organised demand, for fares or public subsidy. Urban mobility encompasses people's journeys within urban areas by public and private transport, walking, cycling and other modes. Competent local authority means Baghdad Municipality, a governorate, municipality or legally empowered formation according to location and competence.

Article (6) — Operator and contract definitions

An operator is a licensed public or private person providing passenger transport. A public-service contract specifies routes or areas, service levels, indicators, fares, compensation and sanctions. A concession is a fixed-term operating right subject to competition and transparency rules.

Article (7) — Flexible transport and platforms

Flexible transport is not fully bound to fixed routes or schedules and includes demand-responsive services, taxis and services connecting drivers and passengers through digital platforms. App or platform use does not alter passenger transport's legal nature or licensing and safety requirements.

Article (8) — Road-safety definition

Road safety is the system preventing deaths and serious injuries arising from road traffic, encompassing road design, speed, vehicles, drivers, users and post-crash response. It recognises that human error is foreseeable and systems should prevent it causing death or serious injury as far as possible.

Article (9) — Vulnerable users

Vulnerable users include pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, children, older persons, persons with disabilities and others lacking equivalent structural vehicle protection. Their safety shall be prioritised in street, intersection and transport-stop design.

Article (10) — Equal-access principle

Public transport shall be non-discriminatory, considering women, children, older persons, persons with disabilities, low-income users and underserved areas. Any social subsidy or preference shall rest on published, reviewable criteria.

Article (11) — Integration principle

Buses, urban rail, taxis, private transport, walking, cycling and parking shall be planned as one connected network. No mode shall be designed in isolation from interchange or access to employment, education, health and services.

Article (12) — Demand-led transport

Routes, expansions and major fleet purchases shall not be approved merely for geographical distribution or administrative considerations. They shall reflect current and projected demand, journey times, density, land use, alternatives, lifecycle costs and safety and environmental effects.

Article (13) — Technological neutrality

The Law specifies outcomes and performance standards without prescribing a technology or supplier. Payment, tracking, communications and data systems shall interoperate under published standards to prevent dependence on one contractor.

Article (14) — Information and grievance rights

Every user may know routes, timetables, fares, service conditions and complaints and grievances procedures. Authorities and operators shall publish essential information accessibly while protecting personal and security-sensitive data.

Chapter Two — Allocation of competences and governance

Article (15) — Ministry of Transport role

The Ministry of Transport shall formulate federal public-transport policy within its competence, establish national frameworks for inter-governorate and modal integration, adopt service and interoperability standards, coordinate subordinate institutions and prepare technical planning and contracting guidance.

Article (16) — Ministry of Interior and Traffic Directorate roles

The Ministry of Interior and General Traffic Directorate shall enforce traffic legislation, manage traffic, register vehicles, issue driving licences, inspect and supervise under applicable legislation, coordinating with transport authorities on bus lanes, intersections and safety measures.

Article (17) — Central Traffic Committee

Alongside existing duties, the Central Traffic Committee under Article (46) of Traffic Law No. (8) of 2019 shall serve as the national road-safety coordination platform for this Law. No parallel national authority shall be created.

Article (18) — Expanded committee coordination

When considering national safety strategy, data or crash response, the Central Traffic Committee shall invite authorised representatives of Planning, Health and Environment ministries, local bodies, competent statistical and roads and bridges authorities and others as relevant, without changing original statutory membership except by legislation.

Article (19) — Local urban-transport authority

Every governorate outside a region and Baghdad Municipality shall designate an existing formation or specialist unit as its local urban-transport focal body. No independent new authority is required; the function may sit within the municipality or governorate with adequate competence and separation between planning and operations.

Article (20) — Local responsibilities

The local body shall prepare urban mobility plans, design route, parking and station networks, identify contracting needs, propose local fares, regulate parking and active mobility, measure performance and coordinate with traffic, urban planning and roads bodies.

Article (21) — State Company for Private Transport Management

The State Company for Private Transport Management or its statutory successor shall regulate and supervise private passenger transport within its founding instrument and applicable laws, coordinating urban routes with local authorities rather than independently planning local networks.

Article (22) — Public operators

Public passenger-transport companies shall continue under their laws, regulations and competent-authority service contracts. State ownership does not exempt them from performance, safety, transparency and cost-comparison indicators.

Article (23) — Roads, bridges and municipalities

Roads, bridges, municipal authorities and Baghdad Municipality shall, within their respective competences, design and maintain infrastructure considering public transport, pedestrians, cyclists and safety, coordinating in advance with traffic and transport bodies on projects materially affecting movement.

Article (24) — Ministry of Planning

The Ministry of Planning shall integrate accessibility and mobility indicators into investment plans, check major projects' consistency with urban plans and feasibility studies, and support databases and economic-evaluation methods without replacing sector authorities.

Article (25) — Ministry of Health and post-crash response

The Ministry of Health shall contribute emergency-care standards, injury data and hospital-access-time maps, working with traffic and local health bodies to shorten the interval between crashes and specialist care.

Article (26) — Ministry of Environment

With relevant bodies, the Ministry of Environment shall establish methods for measuring transport emissions and noise and assessing major projects' environmental impacts, supporting gradual cleaner-fleet transition without unfunded or infeasible replacement requirements.

Article (27) — Inter-governorate coordination

Where a route or system crosses governorates, local bodies shall agree service, fares, revenue and cost sharing, stations, data and oversight. If agreement fails for a nationally important service, the Ministry of Transport shall mediate under the law.

Article (28) — Conflicts of interest

Service regulation, contracting and supervision shall be separated as far as possible from direct commercial operations. Authorities owning public operators shall disclose service costs and subsidies and grant no preference absent statutory or contractual authority.

Chapter Three — Integrated urban transport planning

Article (29) — Sustainable urban mobility plan

Baghdad Municipality and every governorate or city designated by national standards shall prepare an integrated medium- and long-term urban mobility plan and update it periodically. It shall guide publicly funded road, public-transport, parking and active-mobility projects.

Article (30) — Plan contents

The plan shall establish trip, speed, access-time, safety and air-quality baselines; analyse present and forecast demand; and specify public-transport networks, priority corridors, walking and cycling plans, parking policy, funding and phased programmes with measurable indicators.

Article (31) — Public participation

Draft plans shall undergo public discussion, with maps, alternatives and economic and social assessment summaries accessible. Local authorities shall document significant comments and responses, without turning consultation into a veto over the public interest.

Article (32) — Land-use integration

Transport plans shall coordinate with master plans and land use, directing density and high-attraction activities towards capable corridors. Major trip generators shall not be approved without addressing public-transport and pedestrian access and safety.

Article (33) — Transport impact assessment for major projects

Urban, commercial, educational and health projects exceeding regulatory thresholds shall assess transport impacts before licensing, addressing projected trips, walking and public-transport access, parking and intersection management and safety measures.

Article (34) — No public transfer of private-impact costs

Major developers may be required to fund improvements directly proportionate to project impacts under published criteria. Transport impact assessment shall not impose works lacking causal connection or proportionality to the project.

Article (35) — Public-transport priority corridors

With traffic authorities, local bodies may allocate lanes or signal priority to buses or high-occupancy vehicles where feasible, assessing effects on emergency traffic, safety and local access.

Article (36) — Multimodal corridors

Main routes shall gradually be redesigned as multimodal corridors, allocating space among vehicles, public transport, pedestrians, cyclists, loading and parking according to safety, demand and street function rather than private-car movement alone.

Article (37) — Interchanges

Plans shall identify bus, rail, taxi and inter-governorate interchanges, considering easy transfers, short walking distances, unified information, accessibility, safety, shade and climate protection appropriate to location.

Article (38) — First and last mile

Network plans shall provide first- and last-mile access to major stops through feeder services, safe walking, cycling, park-and-ride and demand-responsive transport where needed, rather than assuming private-car access.

Article (39) — School and hospital zones

Local bodies shall plan safe access to schools, hospitals and major public complexes, addressing crossings, speeds, uncontrolled stopping, bus routes and loading, prioritising children, pedestrians and persons with disabilities.

Article (40) — Alternatives before major infrastructure

Publicly funded metro, urban railway or major transport infrastructure shall not commence before comparing feasible alternatives including bus improvements, BRT, demand management and existing rail, and publishing demand, cost, lifecycle and risk summaries.

Chapter Four — Public-transport networks and service levels

Article (41) — Network design

Public transport shall comprise trunk, feeder and local services. Wasteful route duplication leaving other areas unserved is prohibited. Endpoints, frequency and capacity shall reflect demand, journey times and modal integration.

Article (42) — Minimum service specifications

With local bodies, the Ministry of Transport shall set minimum standards for frequency, regularity, operating hours, cleanliness, accessibility, stop safety, information and complaints, allowing thresholds to reflect city size and demand.

Article (43) — Timetables and regularity

Operators shall meet contracted schedules or frequencies. Actual services shall be measured through auditable data; departure from the depot is not proof of a completed journey or route service.

Article (44) — Reliability

Contracts shall specify cancelled-trip, delay, regularity and crowding indicators, linking part of payment or sanctions to actual outcomes. Documented force majeure shall be excepted under published rules.

Article (45) — Stations and stops

Local authorities shall designate transport stops and stations with traffic bodies. According to usage, facilities shall provide shelter, lighting, written and digital information, safe crossings and disability access. Pavements shall not become stops obstructing pedestrian routes.

Article (46) — Passenger information

Route numbers, directions, timetables or frequencies, fares and emergency changes shall be clearly published at stops and digitally, with disability-accessible versions and non-digital channels for those unable to use apps.

Article (47) — Disruption management

Operators and local bodies shall plan for interruptions, crashes, roadworks and exceptional weather, providing temporary diversions, immediate information and priority continuity for hospital and essential-centre routes.

Article (48) — Night and event services

Night, seasonal, pilgrimage and major-event services may be established following demand and safety assessment. Exceptional operations shall not impair basic daily services except for temporary, publicly announced necessity.

Article (49) — Organised school transport

Licensed school transport shall meet additional vehicle, driver, supervision, boarding, alighting, child-accounting and emergency standards. Education and local authorities shall coordinate necessary instructions with traffic and transport bodies.

Article (50) — Transport for persons with disabilities

New networks and contracted vehicles shall progressively ensure barrier-free boarding, alighting and information. Existing inaccessible sections shall have timed remediation plans and reasonable alternative services pending completion.

Article (51) — Personal security

Operators shall prevent harassment, violence and theft through lighting, training, reporting, response and lawful retention of available recordings, without excessive personal-data surveillance.

Article (52) — In-vehicle air quality

Instructions shall specify ventilation, maintenance, cleanliness, smoking prohibition and leak monitoring for public-transport vehicles, considering temperature and climate in new-fleet specifications.

Article (53) — User satisfaction

Local authorities shall periodically commission independent passenger-satisfaction surveys, publish aggregate results and compare operational indicators. Surveys shall not substitute for trip, accident and complaint data.

Article (54) — Essential-service continuity

If an operator stops essential services or loses its licence, competent authorities shall arrange temporary continuation through another operator or temporary public operation, observing contracting and emergency rules and lawful worker rights.

Chapter Five — Operator licensing, service contracts and competition

Article (55) — Licensing

Public or commercial passenger transport requires the licence or authorisation applicable to its activity. Licences shall specify operator identity, scope, safety, insurance and data requirements, without replacing route contracts or concessions where required.

Article (56) — Eligibility

Operators require financial capacity proportionate to activity, safety management, compliant vehicles, licensed drivers, valid insurance, complaints systems and capacity to retain legally required operating data.

Article (57) — Public-service contracts

State or local subsidies or exclusive route-operating rights require public-service contracts specifying duration, scope, frequency, fares, indicators, support, amendment mechanisms, sanctions, audits, termination and asset and data transfer.

Article (58) — Contract competition

Operating contracts and concessions shall follow applicable procurement, partnership or concession legislation, competitively wherever possible. Direct awards require justification and lawful publication of basis, duration and value.

Article (59) — Separation of regulator and bidder

Public companies bidding for operations shall meet the same tender, performance and cost requirements as other operators and receive no access to competitors' bids or privileged information through ownership or regulatory links.

Article (60) — Contract duration

Duration shall allow reasonable investment recovery without suppressing competition longer than necessary. Material extensions require review and approval under contracting legislation.

Article (61) — Contract indicators

As appropriate, contracts shall cover service kilometres, completed trips, regularity, safety, cleanliness, accessibility, complaints, energy and emissions, with verification preventing rewards based solely on unaudited operator data.

Article (62) — Performance sanctions

Failure against contracted indicators may attract deductions, contractual fines, corrective plans or partial service suspension, proportionate, predetermined and challengeable under the contract and law.

Article (63) — Incentives

Contracts may reward increased ridership, improved regularity or safety, or reduced costs and emissions where outcomes are measurable and manipulation or harm to other quality dimensions can be prevented.

Article (64) — Net and gross contracts

Gross-cost contracts retaining ticket revenue with the authority or net-revenue contracts assigning demand risk to operators may be used. Models shall follow incentive and risk analysis rather than a uniform rule for every city.

Article (65) — Worker transfer

On service transfer between operators, acquired labour and special-law rights shall be respected. Tender documents shall address staffing necessary for continuity without creating automatic public-employment rights.

Article (66) — Financial transparency

Publicly subsidised operators shall maintain accounts separating subsidised-service costs and revenues from other activities. Contract-related financial information shall be audited under the law.

Chapter Six — Private transport, taxis, platforms and small vehicles

Article (67) — Private-transport regulation

The State Company for Private Transport Management and local authorities shall, within their competences, regulate private passenger routes, stops and operations to prevent disorder and crowding and secure coverage and service. Permits shall reflect need and safety rather than fee collection alone.

Article (68) — Taxis

Taxis require vehicle, driver and business licensing, insurance and regulated fares or calculation methods. Passengers shall be able to verify driver and vehicle identities. Meters, digital pricing or fare bands may apply according to service type.

Article (69) — Ride-booking platforms

Digital platforms may not systematically broker passenger transport for commission without registration or licensing assigning duties for driver, vehicle and insurance verification, trip records and complaints. Describing themselves as technology companies does not exempt them from passenger-transport duties.

Article (70) — Platform vehicles

Commercial passenger vehicles shall belong to categories permitted by the Traffic Law and private-transport instructions. Existing vehicles may follow a transitional regularisation pathway rather than impracticable immediate suspension.

Article (71) — Price transparency

The fare or calculation method shall be shown before trip acceptance wherever possible, with dynamic increases clearly identified. Mandatory charges shall not be hidden, nor fares changed after departure except for reasons known to the passenger.

Article (72) — Driver and passenger protection

Platforms shall retain minimum records necessary to verify trips, complaints and incidents and provide emergency and support contact channels. Driver or passenger account-suspension policies shall specify reasons and objection procedures, considering immediate safety risks.

Article (73) — Non-discrimination

Discriminatory refusal because of disability, sex or area is prohibited, subject to safety and licensing scope. Platforms and operators shall make reasonable arrangements for adapted vehicles where market size permits.

Article (74) — Integration with public transport

Local authorities may designate taxi and platform pickup/drop-off areas near public-transport stops and prohibit uncontrolled stopping within stations or bus lanes. No platform shall receive a location monopoly without lawful procedures.

Article (75) — Minibuses

Individually operated minibuses shall gradually join organised networks through companies, cooperatives, collective contracts or route- and indicator-based permits. Existing operators shall receive transition periods and fair qualification opportunities rather than abrupt exclusion.

Article (76) — Tuk-tuks and similar vehicles

Small three-wheeled or similar vehicles shall be regulated according to registration, safety and road characteristics. Areas, routes and hours may permit or prohibit operation for evidenced safety reasons. Blanket bans shall not apply where less restrictive measures can control risks.

Article (77) — Pilgrimage and event transport

Temporary permits or special plans for pilgrimages and major events may specify assembly points, routes, readiness inspections, driver hours and unified communications. They expire with the event and do not automatically confer permanent rights.

Article (78) — Unlicensed transport

Authorities shall take graduated action against unlicensed commercial passenger transport, from warnings and regularisation where appropriate to suspension, impoundment or referral under applicable laws. Private vehicles shall not be obstructed merely for sharing costs on non-commercial trips.

Chapter Seven — Fares, subsidies, ticketing and passenger rights

Article (79) — Fare principles

Fares shall balance affordability, service sustainability, operating costs and efficiency. Persistently below-cost fares for the required service level require an identified funding source for the gap.

Article (80) — Fare approval

The competent body shall set fares or calculation methods after analysing service costs, demand and subsidies, publishing decisions and grounds. Fare zones, passes, distance or time pricing may suit different systems.

Article (81) — Social subsidies

Concessions or exemptions may apply to social groups designated by law or authorised decision. Their costs shall enter budgets or service contracts and be paid to operators against verifiable trips or beneficiaries, rather than imposed as unfunded free-service duties.

Article (82) — Low-demand areas

Routes providing essential access where commercial revenue is insufficient may be subsidised if need is demonstrated, alternatives compared, subsidy ceilings and indicators specified, and routes periodically reviewed.

Article (83) — Integrated ticketing

Authorities shall enable tickets or payment methods usable across operators and modes where feasible, with clear revenue settlement. Payment providers need not be the operator or regulator.

Article (84) — Cash and digital transition

Electronic payment may expand while retaining reasonable options during transition or for social needs for people without accounts or phones. Unjustified technological exclusivity shall not deny essential services.

Article (85) — Fare refunds

Refund or compensation conditions for cancelled or interrupted services shall reflect trip and contract types. Every minor delay beyond reasonable operator control shall not automatically attract compensation.

Article (86) — Passenger rights

Passengers have rights to safe services under published conditions, dignified treatment, accurate information, receipts or payment records where systems exist, complaints, data protection and non-discrimination.

Article (87) — Passenger duties

Passengers shall pay fares, observe public order and safety instructions, and refrain from damaging vehicles, harassing others or obstructing drivers. Trips may be refused or terminated for genuine danger or serious misconduct through non-discriminatory procedures.

Article (88) — Lost property

Operators shall register, return and retain lost property for periods prescribed by instructions, safeguarding data, handling hazardous items and transferring necessary items to security authorities.

Article (89) — Complaints

Operators shall provide free or low-cost complaint channels with tracking numbers and respond within reasonable periods. Passengers may escalate unresolved complaints or those involving safety, discrimination or repeated failures to the regulator.

Article (90) — Complaint indicators

Regulators shall periodically publish aggregate complaint types and resolution rates without identifying complainants, using them in contract and licensing assessments and improvement.

Article (91) — Accessible language and information

Public information shall be in Arabic, considering local languages where legally or practically necessary, and provided in appropriate visual, audio and digital formats for persons with disabilities wherever possible.

Chapter Eight — Intelligent transport, data and interoperability

Article (92) — Transport information system

With local bodies, the Ministry of Transport shall establish a national information framework specifying common standards for routes, stops, timetables, real-time positions, disruptions and fares, without requiring all data in one central database.

Article (93) — Data ownership

Government data remain owned by the competent public body. Contracts shall specify usage rights for operator-generated data. Technology suppliers shall not withhold operating data or prevent transfer to replacement systems on contract expiry.

Article (94) — Open data

Route, timetable, stop, fare and public-service information shall be published in reusable formats where free of personal or security-sensitive data or protected trade secrets, enabling independent apps and better planning.

Article (95) — Real-time location

Contracted vehicles on designated routes shall transmit real- or near-real-time location and operating data to common standards, enabling trip verification, passenger information and network management, with specified retention rules.

Article (96) — Passenger privacy

Only data needed for payment, service, safety or legal compliance shall be collected. Identifiable movement data shall be separated from analytics wherever possible. Selling individuals' travel histories for advertising without legal basis and valid consent is prohibited.

Article (97) — System security

Ticketing, tracking, traffic-control and platform systems shall meet cybersecurity and continuity requirements proportionate to outage consequences, with backups, recovery plans and incident reporting under relevant legislation.

Article (98) — Interoperability

Authorities shall specify data-exchange, payment and operational-identity interfaces enabling supplier replacement or additional operators without rebuilding entire systems. Competing suppliers shall have equal access to specifications.

Article (99) — Signal management

Adaptive signal control and public-transport or emergency-vehicle priority may be used subject to safety review, without cancelling pedestrian crossing rights or generating dangerous speeds to increase traffic flow.

Article (100) — Cameras and enforcement

Cameras, radar and automated enforcement shall comply with traffic legislation, evidence, notification, grievance and data-protection rules. This Law creates no new traffic offence or fine merely because detection technology exists.

Article (101) — Algorithmic decisions

Public algorithms affecting operator licensing, service allocation or administrative measures require documented purposes, data and decision criteria, with human review for material effects.

Article (102) — Data quality

Authorities shall adopt common indicator definitions and audits distinguishing scheduled, operated and cancelled trips and accidents, injuries and deaths, documenting each indicator's source, period and comparability limits.

Article (103) — Record retention

Regulations shall balance audit and privacy in retention periods for contracts, trips, payments, incidents and complaints. Indefinite retention without legal necessity is prohibited.

Chapter Nine — Walking, cycling, parking and demand management

Article (104) — Walking within transport systems

Walking is an essential transport mode, not merely recreation. Urban-road projects shall provide continuous pavements, safe crossings and stop access unless physical impossibility is documented.

Article (105) — Pavement accessibility

New pavements and paths shall provide obstacle-free widths, ramps, safe surfaces, drainage and suitable guidance. Obstructions breaking route continuity require temporary authorisation and safe alternatives.

Article (106) — Pedestrian crossings

Crossings shall reflect demand, speed and distance to public facilities and stops, with visibility, lighting, signals or necessary traffic calming. Barriers shall not force unreasonable lengthy pedestrian detours instead of addressing hazards.

Article (107) — Cycling

Connected cycling networks may combine protected lanes, low-speed streets and shared arrangements according to risk and volume, with secure cycle parking at stations and major facilities.

Article (108) — Micromobility

Personal or shared electric bicycles and scooters shall be regulated for speed, riding and parking locations, safety and commercial insurance, without imposing large-motor-vehicle restrictions where risk levels differ.

Article (109) — Parking policy

Local authorities shall link on- and off-street parking prices and durations to location, demand and movement objectives; prohibit pavement and bus-lane parking; and provide for disability, loading and emergency needs.

Article (110) — Parking pricing

Parking charges may be introduced or adjusted under applicable fee and revenue legislation. Where legally permitted, local revenues shall improve street management, transport and area access, rather than treating parking as a permanent free entitlement.

Article (111) — Park-and-ride

Park-and-ride facilities shall be established at corridor edges or near stations where studies show they shift car trips to public transport without encouraging more driving into city centres.

Article (112) — Low-speed zones

Traffic and local authorities may designate residential, school and pedestrian-intensive commercial areas for low operating speeds and matching engineering measures under traffic legislation and associated directives and instructions.

Article (113) — Demand management

Local authorities may adopt loading hours, heavy-vehicle access controls, restricted-access zones, major-institution travel plans and other demand measures after assessing impacts, non-discrimination and reasonable alternatives.

Article (114) — Events and street closures

Competent authorities may temporarily close roads or reserve them for pedestrians or mass transit during events, maintenance or emergencies under traffic legislation, publishing diversions and ensuring emergency and resident access.

Chapter Ten — Safe road-traffic system

Article (115) — National safety target

On the Central Traffic Committee's recommendation, government shall adopt measurable national death and serious-injury reduction targets consistent with the Global Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021–2030, officially establishing baselines and measurement methods.

Article (116) — National strategy

The Central Traffic Committee shall prepare a multisectoral safety strategy assigning roads, traffic, transport, health, education and local responsibilities, linking programmes to budgets and annual indicators and publishing periodic progress reports.

Article (117) — Safe System principle

Authorities shall recognise death or serious injury as an unacceptable price of mobility. Road design, speed, vehicles, behaviour and response shall form mutually reinforcing protective layers.

Article (118) — Speed management

Speeds shall reflect road function, uses and user protection. Management shall combine design, enforcement and information, with low operating speeds in pedestrian-intensive areas, schools and markets under traffic legislation.

Article (119) — Project safety audits

Urban-road, bridge and intersection projects with material impacts require independent safety audits during design, before opening and afterwards where necessary. Acceptance or rejection of recommendations and reasons shall be documented.

Article (120) — Existing-network safety inspections

Road owners shall periodically inspect networks and identify high-risk locations and corridors using accidents, speed and exposure, prioritising interventions offering the greatest expected death and serious-injury reductions.

Article (121) — Accident blackspots

Recurring-crash sites shall not receive only warnings or intensified policing where causes are engineering-related. Visibility, intersections, lighting, crossings, speeds, barriers and surfaces shall be assessed before selecting remedies.

Article (122) — Pedestrian safety

Urban roads shall consider crossing distances, refuges, lighting, visibility, signal time and station access. Footbridges or underpasses shall not be default solutions where safe surface crossings are more suitable and usable.

Article (123) — Motorcycle safety

The strategy shall address motorcycle training, enforcement, helmet standards, visibility, road design and mode-specific data, integrated with traffic legislation and applicable standards.

Article (124) — Work-zone safety

Maintenance and construction projects shall have temporary traffic-management plans protecting workers, pedestrians and drivers through diversions, barriers, lighting and temporary speeds. Road safety forms part of contract cost, not an optional extra.

Article (125) — Emergency-vehicle safety

Priorities, signals and lanes shall allow ambulances, fire engines and police access. Dedicated lanes or urban barriers shall not block emergency access without alternative engineering solutions.

Article (126) — Advertising and sightlines

Advertising, kiosks, trees and equipment near intersections and crossings shall preserve sight triangles, signals and safe driver attention under municipal and traffic laws.

Article (127) — Risk-based education

Awareness campaigns shall target behaviours, locations and groups demonstrably associated with serious crashes. Outcomes shall measure behavioural and crash changes rather than merely publications or events.

Chapter Eleven — Passenger-vehicle and driver safety

Article (128) — Technical inspection

Passenger vehicles require periodic inspection and roadworthiness under traffic legislation and instructions. Justified additional inspections may apply to heavily used commercial vehicles within statutory authority.

Article (129) — Preventive maintenance

Operators shall maintain preventive programmes and individual vehicle records of inspections, repairs and critical faults. Vehicles with substantial safety faults shall not return until repair is demonstrated.

Article (130) — Fleet-procurement specifications

Public-fleet purchase and lease contracts shall address safety, accessibility, energy efficiency, climate suitability, spare parts, maintenance, training and lifecycle costs. Lowest purchase price shall not be the sole criterion.

Article (131) — Seatbelts and emergency equipment

Vehicles shall carry seatbelts, extinguishers, emergency exits or first-aid equipment as appropriate under standards and traffic law. Operators shall inspect equipment and keep exits clear.

Article (132) — Professional drivers

Commercial passenger drivers require the appropriate driving-licence category and professional permit. Periodic training shall cover safety, passenger treatment, emergencies and accessibility according to service type.

Article (133) — Fitness

Professional drivers shall meet statutory and instructional health and examination requirements, protecting medical confidentiality and preventing unjustified exclusion through testing.

Article (134) — Work and rest hours

Joint Transport Ministry and competent labour-authority instructions shall limit driving and require rest for long-distance or intensive services. Operators shall keep fatigue-prevention records consistently with labour legislation.

Article (135) — Drugs and alcohol

Traffic and criminal laws govern driving under alcohol or drugs. Operators shall maintain safety policies, training and lawful referral on suspicion, without arbitrary unlawful testing.

Article (136) — Phone use

Public-transport drivers shall observe traffic-law restrictions on phones and devices. Ticketing and communication equipment shall minimise manual interaction while moving.

Article (137) — Hazard reporting

Drivers and workers shall be able to report faults, unrealistic schedules or safety-threatening pressure without retaliation for good-faith reporting. Responses to serious hazards shall be documented.

Article (138) — Insurance

Operators shall maintain compulsory and any activity-law or contractual additional insurance proportionate to passenger numbers and risks, explaining post-crash claims procedures to passengers.

Article (139) — Operational investigation

Operators shall investigate crashes and near misses for prevention. Internal inquiries neither replace traffic or judicial investigations nor permit destruction or withholding of evidence.

Chapter Twelve — Crash data, response and post-crash care

Article (140) — National crash register

The Interior Ministry, statistical authority, Health Ministry and other bodies shall develop statistically linkable records reducing double-counting and comparing police, hospital and mortality data, using protected individual identifiers not publicly disclosed.

Article (141) — Death and serious-injury definitions

National statistical definitions shall align with international standards for crash-related death and serious injury. Methodological changes shall be clearly published so definitional differences are not mistaken for genuine improvement or deterioration.

Article (142) — Crash coordinates

Where possible, crashes shall record geography, time, road and user type and initial factors, enabling high-risk site and corridor analysis without publishing injured persons' data.

Article (143) — Data access

Researchers and local authorities shall access aggregated anonymised safety data under clear rules. Details revealing identities or ongoing investigations may be restricted.

Article (144) — Ambulance response and access

Health and traffic bodies shall establish communication, reporting, site-access and casualty-transfer protocols and review response times and ambulance locations against high-risk roads.

Article (145) — Emergency corridor

Crash traffic-management plans shall provide emergency-vehicle corridors, crowd prevention, diversions and responder protection, informing drivers wherever possible.

Article (146) — Responder training

Bodies shall coordinate police, ambulance, civil-defence and road-staff training in site protection, rescue, first aid and data collection according to competence.

Article (147) — Victim support

Competent bodies shall facilitate accident reports and information for insurance and legal procedures and provide clear guidance on injured persons' and bereaved families' rights, without creating compensation outside applicable laws.

Article (148) — Annual safety report

The Central Traffic Committee shall publish a unified annual report on deaths and serious injuries by governorate, user and road type, principal factors, actions taken and national-target progress, explaining data limitations.

Chapter Thirteen — Finance, investment and expenditure efficiency

Article (149) — Funding principle

Services and infrastructure shall be funded through lawful combinations of budgets, fares, local revenues, contracts, partnerships, grants and loans. Long-term obligations and implicit subsidies shall be disclosed before approval.

Article (150) — Multi-year financial plan

Mobility plans shall include financial programmes covering at least the period specified by instructions, distinguishing establishment, operations, maintenance, fleet renewal and debt service. Construction alone shall not be presented as total project cost.

Article (151) — Lifecycle costs

Vehicles, stations, systems and technologies shall be evaluated on lifecycle costs including energy, maintenance, spares, remaining life and disposal, not initial purchase price alone.

Article (152) — Maintenance before expansion

Reasonable priority shall fund maintenance of serviceable existing assets before expansions increase maintenance burdens. Project studies shall identify funding for post-opening operations and maintenance.

Article (153) — Safety finance

Essential safety shall enter road and transport project costs from design, without deferral to later projects. A competitive national programme may fund data-based treatment of high-risk sites.

Article (154) — Private-sector partnerships

Partnerships or concessions may cover vehicles, stations, depots, ticketing, information and other services where manageable risks transfer and value for money is achieved. They shall not conceal off-budget debt or financial obligations.

Article (155) — Transport-related land value

Under competent financial or local legislation, part of land-value increases directly resulting from public-transport investment may fund associated infrastructure, subject to transparent rules and statutory authority for charges.

Article (156) — Advertising and commercial activity

Station advertising, commercial space and naming rights may be exploited under contracting and revenue law, without impairing safety information, access or creating conflicts in public content.

Article (157) — Ex-post evaluation

Major projects shall undergo subsequent evaluation comparing demand, costs, time, safety and emissions with decision assumptions. Summaries shall be published to inform later projects.

Article (158) — Unsupported figures

No total investment cost, fleet size or route count shall be legislated without study. Executive estimates shall use quantities, unit prices, demand scenarios, risks and periodic updates.

Chapter Fourteen — Oversight, administrative sanctions and grievances

Article (159) — Inspection powers

Lawfully authorised inspectors or officials may verify licences, safety records, vehicles, insurance and service data within their competence, without unlawful personal searches or entry into private premises.

Article (160) — Graduated enforcement

Regulators shall graduate measures by seriousness and repetition: notices, corrective plans, warnings, legally prescribed administrative fines, partial suspension and licence withdrawal, prioritising immediate suspension for imminent danger.

Article (161) — Separation from traffic fines

Operator administrative sanctions do not replace traffic or criminal sanctions on drivers or vehicles. Where conduct also violates the Traffic Law, the competent law applies without unlawful double punishment.

Article (162) — Serious operator violations

Serious violations include knowingly operating unfit vehicles or unlicensed drivers, falsifying trip or inspection data, obstructing lawful inspection, repeated unlicensed service and concealing reportable serious crashes.

Article (163) — Administrative fines

Operator financial administrative fines shall be specified in a schedule enacted by law or accompanying legislative amendment, considering business size, risk and gains from violations. The executive shall not create new criminal penalties through instructions.

Article (164) — Urgent suspension

Vehicles, routes or activities may be temporarily suspended by reasoned decision for serious imminent danger. Operators shall immediately receive reasons and reinstatement requirements and may obtain urgent review without suspending necessary safety action.

Article (165) — Grievances

Licensing, sanctions, suspension and classification decisions may be challenged before an administrative committee independent of the decision-maker within regulatory periods, receiving a reasoned decision within a specified time.

Article (166) — Judicial challenge

Grievances do not prejudice judicial challenge under the law. Authorities shall retain all underlying data, reports and grounds for effective review.

Article (167) — Integrity

Licensing requirements, fees, available routes, assessment criteria, contracts and outcomes shall be published within legal limits. Informal payments and route allocation outside published procedures are prohibited.

Article (168) — Whistleblower protection

Employees or drivers reporting falsified data or serious safety defects in good faith shall not face retaliation, applying whistleblower or related legislation when effective.

Chapter Fifteen — Transitional and final provisions

Article (169) — Existing laws continue

Traffic Law No. (8) of 2019, Public Roads Law No. (35) of 2002 as amended, and public-company, transport, labour, contracting, environmental and other laws remain effective. Conflicts shall be repealed or amended only to their extent.

Article (170) — Traffic-Law amendments

If the Traffic Law is amended after commencement, government shall review joint regulations and instructions within ninety days to remove duplication or conflicts. Draft amendments have no effect for applying this Law before acquiring legal force.

Article (171) — Existing operators

Licensed operators shall continue for a regulatory transition no shorter than practically necessary for compliance. Serious vehicle or driver safety dangers shall not persist under transitional justification.

Article (172) — Route reorganisation

Local bodies shall review existing routes and permits and phase integration or reallocation, preserving qualified operators' opportunities where possible. Old permits confer no permanent right to a particular route where public interest requires network redesign.

Article (173) — Initial mobility plans

Baghdad Municipality and governorates with major urban centres shall prepare initial plans on a Council of Ministers schedule proposed by Transport and Planning ministries, prioritising cities with greatest congestion, crashes and need.

Article (174) — National service standards

Within twelve months of commencement, the Ministry of Transport shall issue service, interoperability and data standards after consulting local authorities, operators and users.

Article (175) — Safety strategy

Within twelve months, the Central Traffic Committee shall review or prepare the national safety strategy, establishing official death and serious-injury baselines and annual implementation indicators.

Article (176) — Integrated crash register

Within eighteen months, Interior, Health and Planning ministries and the statistical authority shall establish a privacy-protecting protocol linking crash, injury and death data.

Article (177) — Digital interoperability

Data and payment standards shall apply to new contracts upon adoption. Existing systems shall receive reasonable periods to connect or export data. Functional systems shall not require complete replacement where standard interfaces enable interoperability.

Article (178) — Existing-contract harmonisation

Existing operating contracts are not invalid merely because their models differ. They shall be adjusted on renewal or through contractual change mechanisms, except mandatory safety requirements applying within specified periods.

Article (179) — Financial impact

Before new service or investment commitments, each body shall estimate capital, operating, maintenance and subsidy costs and identify funding. The Law itself sets no aggregate expenditure or obligation to purchase a specified fleet.

Article (180) — Regulations

On competent bodies' proposals, the Council of Ministers shall issue implementing regulations, particularly for urban transport planning, contracting, service levels, data and administrative supervision.

Article (181) — Joint instructions

Ministers and competent heads shall jointly instruct on overlapping matters, particularly traffic/transport coordination, safety, inspections, taxis and platforms, parking and data. Unilateral conflicting instructions in shared competences are prohibited.

Article (182) — Legislative evaluation

Three years after implementation begins, government shall report to the Council of Representatives on service, safety, cost and institutional-coordination effects, proposing necessary amendments from actual data.

Article (183) — Repeal to the extent of conflict

Conflicting subordinate provisions are repealed only to the extent of conflict. Existing decisions and instructions continue until replaced unless expressly inconsistent with mandatory provisions herein.

Article (184) — Commencement

This Law shall take effect one hundred and eighty days after Official Gazette publication, subject to its specific transitional periods.

Explanatory reasons

This Law is proposed to establish integrated public transport, urban mobility and road safety; improve access to work, education, health and services; increase bus, private-transport, taxi and platform efficiency; organise federal/local relationships; connect transport and urban planning; protect pedestrians, cyclists and vulnerable groups; develop data-based safety; and ensure fare, subsidy, contract and technology transparency, reducing deaths, serious injuries, congestion and waste while improving reliability.

General explanatory memorandum

Why a framework law?

Urban transport is not constitutionally an exclusive federal competence. The proposal therefore avoids centralising route and parking details. National authorities set safety, interoperability and transparency standards; local authorities retain daily network decisions in coordination with traffic and transport bodies.

Why no new safety authority?

The Traffic Law already established a Central Traffic Committee chaired by the Interior Ministry's Deputy Minister for Police Affairs, including transport and roads bodies, Baghdad Municipality and the Director-General of Traffic. Another body would increase fragmentation. The proposal instead assigns strategy and data coordination to this committee, inviting health, planning and environmental bodies as relevant.

Private transport and platforms

Private transport is a substantial part of passenger services. The proposal recognises the existing State Company for Private Transport Management but connects permits to local network plans. Digital platforms bear responsibility proportionate to their real influence over drivers, fares and trips, rather than being treated as software detached from transport.

Safety: from offences to systems

2025 data show continuing substantial deaths and injuries. Traffic penalties are necessary but insufficient: roads, speed, crossings, vehicle quality, driver hours and ambulance response are also legal and operational factors. The proposal therefore adopts a Safe System while retaining principal offences and fines in traffic legislation.

Costs and funding

No arbitrary national modernisation figure is set, because reorganising routes, buying fleets, BRT, urban rail and metros differ radically in cost. Demand, lifecycle, operating and maintenance assessments precede commitments; social and operating subsidies are disclosed rather than concealed in operator losses.

Active mobility and parking

Walking begins and ends most public-transport journeys, while parked cars occupy public space. Public transport cannot improve amid broken pavement continuity, unsafe crossings and unregulated free parking in the busiest locations. The proposal gives local authorities legal tools within their powers.

Digitisation without supplier monopoly

Iraq has introduced intelligent traffic services and is expanding digital monitoring. The proposal establishes interoperability, data portability and lawful punitive decisions, permitting modernisation without locking networks to one supplier for many years.

Harmonisation with existing legislation and institutions

Boundaries with the existing system
Reference	Retained responsibilities	POL-60 additions
Traffic Law No. 8 of 2019	Drivers, driving licences, vehicle registration, offences, traffic and enforcement.	Connects safety to planning, infrastructure, services and data without duplicating penalties.
Central Traffic Committee / Article 46	Coordination, operational improvement and safety.	Serves as the national safety-strategy platform instead of a new authority.
Public Roads Law No. 35 of 2002, as amended	Public roads and the responsible body's competences.	Integrates public-transport requirements and safety audits into urban planning where applicable.
State Company for Private Transport Management	Regulates and supervises private passenger transport under its founding instrument.	Connects operations to local network plans and data/service standards.
Public passenger-transport companies	Public fleet and service operations.	Subjects services to indicators and transparent contracts without removing operator ownership.
Governorates, Baghdad Municipality and municipalities	Local competences, planning and services under the Constitution and laws.	Provides mobility-plan, route, parking, walking, cycling and demand-management tools.

Transition and implementation requirements

Initial legislative and implementation milestones
Period	Requirement
Within 6 months	Designate local urban-transport focal bodies and inventory existing routes, permits, contracts and digital systems.
Within 12 months	Issue service/data standards, review safety strategy and establish the official baseline.
Within 18 months	Police, health and statistical data-linkage protocol and private-transport/platform transition plans in major cities.
New contracts	Indicator, interoperability, data and lifecycle-cost requirements apply immediately after standards are issued.
Existing contracts and systems	Continue until expiry or lawful amendment, with mandatory safety requirements effective within specified periods.

Financial and implementation impact

The financial impact has two components. Organisational measures can largely reorganise existing functions: network plans, contract standards, data linkage, performance audits and expanded Central Traffic Committee work. Investment may be substantial if government purchases fleets or builds BRT, urban rail or stations, but is not an automatic obligation created by this Law.

Financial decision method
Item	Costs considered	Decision rule
Fleet	Purchase/lease, energy, maintenance, spare parts, lifespan and residual value.	Lifecycle costs and service capacity, not vehicle price alone.
Infrastructure	Corridors, stations, depots, signals and accessibility works.	Demand, safety, benefits and alternatives analysis.
Operations	Drivers, energy, maintenance, management, ticketing and supervision.	Multi-year service contract and clear funding source.
Social subsidy	Verifiable discounted or free trips.	Explicit appropriation rather than unfunded operator burdens.
Digitisation	Platform, connectivity, maintenance, licences and migration.	Open standards and prevention of supplier data lock-in.
Safety	Audits, hazardous-site improvements, crossings, lighting and traffic calming.	Prioritise expected death and serious-injury reductions.

The proposal thus avoids repeating unsupported old estimates or turning legislation into a project list. Major investment remains subject to budgets, feasibility studies, contracting law and oversight.

Relevant international standards

The proposal draws on the Safe System approach of the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021–2030, recognising human error and shared responsibility across speed, roads, vehicles, behaviour and response. It also uses sustainable urban-planning principles linking access to public transport, walking, cycling and land use rather than measuring success by car speed alone.

These standards do not transplant foreign institutions into Iraq. Their legislative adaptation is deliberate: the existing Central Traffic Committee coordinates safety; local authorities plan networks; the Transport Ministry sets the shared framework; and traffic legislation retains driver, vehicle and penalty rules.