The transport sector in Iraq must be improved. Among elements that must be developed are the signs of instructions located on both sides of the road. We cannot underestimate the degree of importance of those signs. They are of the utmost importance that must be taken care of by the drivers to know their destinations and speeds on all the roads to reduce the severity of accidents, as well as disaster and the issues which have to be developed in the transport sector. It is developing lighting on the roads in order to help detect side roads at night in Iraq and that is what we wish from the Iraqi Government that must be aware of this development. They must perform regular maintenance on both sides of the road.

The transport sector in Iraq plays a prominent role in driving the economy because of its direct impact on the achievement of economic and social development. It forms a link between the centers of production and consumption centers, in addition to its active role in stimulating trade. Therefore, we must manage and regulate this sector to achieve and enhance the status of this sector locally, to serve its employees, and to develop the possibilities of integration and cooperation with neighboring Arab countries, and link the various regions together.

The transportation sector plays a prominent role in promoting the economy since it has a direct impact on achieving economic and social development. In fact, it represents a link between the production and consumption centers in addition to its effective role in activating trade. Therefore, it is necessary to manage, organize and promote the transport sector in order to reach its deserved position at the local and regional level in a way that serves the interests of the workers in this sector, develop the possibilities of integration and cooperation with the neighboring Arab countries and link the different regions with one other. Therefore, the Ministry of Transportation is seeking to implement several major projects of economic and social significance mainly the implementation of the national railway project as an integrated program in order to make Iraq a regional transport center.

The Iraqi people have suffered from bloodshed caused by the terrorist groups in their country through car bombs that struck many people with panic and fear. Those crimes caused and occupied much debate in the lives of the Iraqi citizens who have many complexes about those terrorist crimes. Many civilians do not turn to public transport to travel out of fear of the possibility of any terrorist act, especially since those movements have been working on exploiting the largest gathering places of people in order for them to kill a number of unsuspecting victims. The Iraqi security is no longer able to trace all those groups, which are working to use all possible ways to increase their fear and concern. However, they can earn the help of the citizens in the examination of their cars well before riding them. The Iraqi Government must give attention to the public place and allocate it to park cars in it so that each region will have a special place to park their cars and they must be guarded heavily. They must use the means of modern surveillance because that will greatly reduce the utilization by terrorist movements in the presence of the citizens’ private cars and using them in their bloody acts. Those steps will work on reducing the role of the suicide bombings that take place from time to time, as well as shaking the hearts of the honorable and innocent Iraqis, causing the spread of many dead and wounded people who fall because of those bloody criminal operations.

There should be cooperation between countries that have that capability and have effective investment roles in the Iraqi State. This will also help to activate the economy. Expertise plays a very good role here. Also, these developments and modern projects added to the transport sector will contribute to solving employment crises by providing the Iraqi citizens with job opportunities. Here, the government would solve the transport problem in addition to solving and providing the Iraqi citizens with job opportunities, which will have a great benefit for the country and the people.

It is well known that Iraq is passing through a critical period of time after American colonialism. It is the beginning of a new era of reconstruction. In particular, there is a need for developing the transport sector because it is a community demand based on its daily traffic from all citizens in all categories and various fields. Upgrading should include road sectors and vehicles of various types such as cars, buses, trains, rivers, and marine vessels. The Iraqi Government will not be able to easily complete this development on its own, but it shall increase the foreign investment in the country in a systematic way to increase the movement of investment and service in Iraq, especially the transport sector which we are talking about today. It will become more sophisticated if Iraq will make a deal in strengthening the transport sector through foreign investors, particularly in the road and transportation sector. It is also preferable to include upgrading the air sector and air transport which plays a big role in reducing overcrowding on the Iraqi roads. It is no secret that the attention lies in the development of the roads sector through internal or external investment and it is only the cornerstone and the beginning of investors’ movement to more investments in various fields. The presence of the road and transport sectors makes it easy for these investors to strengthen their movement within the country. It will also strengthen their trade properly to increase their investments in the Iraqi State and the creation of some new roads that are designed in a global manner. The foreign investors and the Iraqi Government will cooperate with the Iraqi governments and this will make Iraq a new port for the whole world. It will not be less than the Suez Canal but it will be another channel to connect the East and West.

No one can ignore that Iraq has been blessed by the Tigris and Euphrates. The Iraqi Government must use these rivers in the revitalization of the transport process. The Iraqi Government has to acquire tugboats and naval vessels that can carry cargo, transport passengers and sail them in these rivers, which will certainly lead to reducing congestion on the roads and provide a security element in both roads and river sectors. Undoubtedly, river transport is the safest transport means but the negative element is its slowness. The role of the State is to facilitate the navigational movement in both rivers and to establish a continuous cleansing process. The ports must also be established on both sides of the rivers, which will contribute to the establishment of investment and the civilized movement contributing to the development of Iraq in general and the transport sector in particular. If the State activated the river sector in these two rivers, they will also need to strengthen the security sector on both sides and within each river so as not to deal with the transport element while some extremists are lurking in it for piracy in Iraq. Imagine with me, when we activate the transport sector in the Tigris and Euphrates, there will be a huge number of jobs that will be available to young Iraqis. In addition, there will be an exchange of investments between residents and Iraqi citizens, and they will benefit from the exploitation of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers in the transport sector, and the shape of civilization of the Iraqi State. This national project must be taken seriously for Iraq.

To the Iraqi Government and the Ministry of Transport, this is due to the continuous increment in population and, accordingly, the increasing demand on the services of transportation, in addition to the increasing world economic pressures that result from the high costs of improving the transport services and the maintenance of the current ones that will help to reserve the investments in the transport sector and make use of it. In the meantime, there should be the arrangement of the future suggested services and planning of the elements of this sector. Therefore, the government must do its best to provide comfort in moving the citizens besides keeping them safe during the transport process. Also, Iraq suffers from lack of technology regarding the means of transport even in the field of trains. Iraq is far behind many European countries where trains have reached the speed of sound, in addition to using the clean energy to keep the environment clean. All this must be put into consideration when implementing and constructing these improvements in the transport sector. It is supposed that the government is to provide the appropriate number of the means of transportation in the transport sector instead of letting the Iraqis suffer. Also, the cost should be within the hands of the Iraqi people with all its sects and classes. This progress will also put the State among the advanced countries in addition to providing more job opportunities as the Iraqis suffer from this problem as a result of the crisis that the country is going through.

The life of the Iraqi people is marred by the poor services of all Government Directorates, which have witnessed significant deterioration in recent decades. Indeed, the State institutions in Iraq have been greatly affected by the American war on the country. This country lost many lives as well as facilities, systems and departments. The services of many political, economic and social systems have considerably deteriorated. In this context, the transportation system in Iraq has been greatly affected since the outbreak of this war. So far, the process of the development of the private sector has been the major issue. The Government officials are committed to modernizing the transportation sector. The Iraqi citizens are in desperate need for public transport which enables them to move throughout their nation’s territories easily. The transport sector in Iraq has been very poor and ineffective since the end of the American war on this country. For this reason, it is very important for the Iraqi Government to halt the increasing deterioration of the transport services. It is supposed to develop, rehabilitate and modernize the public means of transport. It should also re-macadamize the roads.

It is certain that the project of starting the subway in Iraq, developing the transport services and improving the performance of trains and railways there is considered as one of the most positive and useful solutions especially that is necessary and essential to develop this sector. In fact, the deterioration of Iraq in general and the State sectors in particular has become one of the greatest crises, problems and obstacles. Thus, the Iraqi Government is working on facing them and providing the decisive solutions for them in order to promote their country and people once again. Therefore, a lot of solutions and projects are offered in order to develop some Iraqi sectors, among which transport is considered as the most important one after the health sector.

Developing the transportation sector inside Iraq should be based on correct foundations and studied suggestions. It must have been tested and succeeded before in many countries and citizens should get benefits from it. For example, if we talk about the project of building a subway in Egypt, we will find that it brings goodness for all citizens of Cairo. They all use it and depend on it as an essential mean of transportation which saves them from sufferings and from losing time because of the overcrowded roads in Cairo. This is an example of successful steps that the Iraqi government should take as a suggestion. It must be considered as a strong solution in the process of development and improvement that Iraq needs in the transportation sector. There is a great need and great importance to restore this sector to its power and ability to fulfill the needs of citizens. It is represented in the processes of construction and development in railways and other public vehicles. Basically, citizens depend on transportation in their daily lives, like the subway, which is the fastest and the cheapest mean of transportation in most countries. The officials in Iraq should establish subway lines connecting the whole country and to make contracts with companies from foreign countries that are specialized in this field. This important project should be implemented as soon as possible to reduce traffic congestion and to relieve citizens. It is possible to open opportunities for foreign investments in the field of developing the transportation in Iraq and to facilitate procedures for them. Taxes may also be reduced to encourage foreign investors to establish projects inside Iraq to develop the public transportation.

The means of transportation have become one of the most important ways of life which are indispensable and which we use on a daily basis. We move from one place to another in order to do our business and to do whatever we want. There are other services that transportation provides us with. Now we see how overcrowded the means of transportation are. The abnormal jam is seen in trains, cars, buses, metros or in subways, etc. Therefore Iraqi officials must do their best to develop the transport sector in Iraq and to provide it with all necessary needs. One of the needs is the expansion of subway lines to reduce the congestion witnessed daily by the Iraqi citizen which disables access to work in a timely manner. The trains which move the citizens from town to town inside the country must also be given proper attention. These trains are very old and they are not regularly maintained and renewed. It sometimes has a breakdown on its way which results in longer hours of travel to reach destinations. So the government has to improve the trains and supply them with all their needs. Increasing the number of new fast buses also help in reducing pressure on the metro and the buses. The government must make deals and contract with foreign investment companies in order to provide the country with modern means of transport and to help in developing this sector. Achieving these needs and others that the officials have in their minds will help us develop and improve the transport sector to the best level.

We hope it will be at a high level of comfort to make things easier for the citizens. At the same time, it should be regular. The development process has to be in honest and careful hands for the best interest of the citizen.