Iraq Traffic Chief Warns of Vehicle-Road Imbalance Exceeding 300%

BAGHDAD, Iraq — BAGHDAD — Iraq's General Traffic Directorate is grappling with a significant imbalance between the country's growing number of vehicles and its road infrastructure, according to Lt. Gen. Dr. Adil Samir, the directorate's head. Speaking on traffic regulation and accident reduction efforts, Samir said some regions have seen vehicle numbers exceed road capacity by more than 300 percent, placing heavy strain on existing infrastructure. The directorate has implemented several measures to improve safety, including establishing special commissions to identify and address high-accident locations, deploying vehicles equipped with alcohol testing devices to traffic offices, and drawing road markings using its own resources. In the first half of this year, authorities detected 157 drivers operating vehicles while under the influence of alcohol. Samir said basic traffic procedures are now completed within 30 minutes. The General Traffic Directorate did not immediately outline specific plans to address the infrastructure gap.