KRG to Launch Taxi Meter Pilot Program in Erbil and Sulaimani

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) will soon launch a pilot taxi meter program in the centers of Erbil and Sulaimani provinces as part of efforts to regulate transportation fares and protect the interests of the public, a Transport and Communications Ministry spokesperson said on Saturday.

Speaking during Kurdistan24's Basi Roj program, Ministry spokesperson Dilan Rashad said the Kurdistan Region currently has 71,000 registered taxis, all operating under the ministry's regulations and directives.

Rashad announced that the long-awaited taxi meter project will soon enter a trial phase in the centers of Erbil and Sulaimani before its wider implementation across the Kurdistan Region.

He said the project is designed to serve the direct interests of citizens by ensuring transportation fares are determined through a transparent and fair pricing system, reducing disputes between passengers and drivers.

The pilot marks another step in the KRG's broader efforts to modernize and regulate the public transportation sector.

The announcement follows remarks by KRG Minister of Transport and Communications Ano Jawhar on July 12, in which he described the reform of the taxi sector as one of the Ninth Cabinet's most significant and historic achievements.

According to the minister, the government has already reorganized more than 71,000 taxis through the introduction of identification cards, official taxi logos, and standardized taxi markings, reducing violations and sector-related complaints to less than five percent.

Jawhar also said the taxi meter project has entered its final stage and will be implemented in the near future.

Once fully operational, the system is expected to bring the Kurdistan Region's taxi sector closer to international standards while ensuring greater transparency and fairness in fare calculation for passengers.