Taking the High Road Through Kurdistan
Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2013 10:22 pmOften, when I drive through Kurdistan, I am reminded of a popular folksong from Scotland.
Oh, ye'll tak' the high road, and I'll tak' the low road,
And I'll get to Scotland afore ye…
Just change Scotland into Erbil or Sulaimani, and the song can be all about the twin routes that link the two main Kurdish cities, one through the oil city of Kirkuk and other passing the provincial towns of Dokan and Koya.
The motorway between the cities passing Kirkuk can be seen as the easy -- or “low” – road, although between Kirkuk and Sulaimani it tends to rise quite a bit.
The route that takes you through Dokan starts off as a motorway too, but then changes into a mountain road with sharp bends and beautiful views that go over the lake of Dokan towards Qandil and across the Lesser Zab valley. Koya is only a pause in this mountainous landscape. This is the high road, for sure.
The length of both routes is about 185 kilometers. Yet because of the mountains, the “high” road, which is more commonly named the Koya road, will take about three hours, while the Kirkuk road gets you there in at least half an hour less. For that reason, I almost always take the Kirkuk route.
But had I been a consul, a foreign politician or businessman, or working for a foreign NGO, I would have been ordered to take the other route. Security officials don’t like the one that passes by Kirkuk, because the town is infamous for its almost daily bomb attacks. They don’t like the fact that it leaves the Kurdistan Region and crosses Iraqi territory for almost half of the total distance.
Yet the road, that was built by the Kurds to bypass the town and only leads past some Kurdish neighborhoods of Kirkuk, is quiet. Yes, I have seen a bomb exploding in the far distance of the town center once, but that was just a plume of smoke. And yes, there was an attack at Abdullah’s Restaurant on the route, but that did not involve the traffic. And the part of Iraq you pass, is under security control of the Kurds.
For many, the main problem is the Kurdish checkpoint of Chamchamal. As this checks the traffic coming from Kirkuk, and out of the KRG, it is very strict. Trucks, buses and taxis – any with an Iraqi number plate or Arab driver or passengers -- will be checked carefully.
It makes me feel safe enough. But foreign security officers say it is safer to stay away from Kirkuk. Does that mean that the Koya route really is better? I doubt it.
Look at all those trucks that divert to the Koya route not to lose time in the Chamchamal checkpoint. So often you get stuck in the mountains behind one that can hardly get its heavy load up the hill. Daily, lorries get stuck on the steep end towards Dokan. Tankers have to be released of their oil to be able to drive on.
Many cars skid off the road, too. You can see the burned out wrecks as a warning to speedy drivers. Still, many people drive too fast on the winding roads, overtake where it is not safe and generally take risks that endanger other road users, too. And finally, let’s not forget the sheep and cows crossing the road!
Sure, the motorway on the other route also invites drivers to speed – the burned out trucks by the roadside tell their story. Here the U-turns make driving even more dangerous, as trucks using them tend not to worry much about the oncoming traffic.
Both routes are disastrously dangerous at night, with speed bumps that appear without warning, bad lightning and too many cars blinding you with their high headlights.
Is one route really safer than the other? Sure, I also take the “high” road with my foreign guests, but only because everybody tells you to keep them away from Kirkuk.
Really, neither of the two routes is good enough when it comes to road safety. They are just constructed to get the traffic from A to B. Both have stretches with holes and worn surfaces that endanger drivers and ruin cars.
But the safety of the drivers and their passengers is hardly an issue. Nor are drivers educated in such a way that they know what safe driving means.
Neither of the routes is really up to standard, yet they are main arteries in the Kurdistan road system – dangerous arteries that urgently need attention because they are accident prone. Daily, there are accidents, often serious, often deadly.
Which brings me to the next two lines of the Scottish song.
But me and my true love will never meet again
On the bonnie, bonnie banks o' Loch Lomond.
Oh, ye'll tak' the high road, and I'll tak' the low road,
And I'll get to Scotland afore ye…
Just change Scotland into Erbil or Sulaimani, and the song can be all about the twin routes that link the two main Kurdish cities, one through the oil city of Kirkuk and other passing the provincial towns of Dokan and Koya.
The motorway between the cities passing Kirkuk can be seen as the easy -- or “low” – road, although between Kirkuk and Sulaimani it tends to rise quite a bit.
The route that takes you through Dokan starts off as a motorway too, but then changes into a mountain road with sharp bends and beautiful views that go over the lake of Dokan towards Qandil and across the Lesser Zab valley. Koya is only a pause in this mountainous landscape. This is the high road, for sure.
The length of both routes is about 185 kilometers. Yet because of the mountains, the “high” road, which is more commonly named the Koya road, will take about three hours, while the Kirkuk road gets you there in at least half an hour less. For that reason, I almost always take the Kirkuk route.
But had I been a consul, a foreign politician or businessman, or working for a foreign NGO, I would have been ordered to take the other route. Security officials don’t like the one that passes by Kirkuk, because the town is infamous for its almost daily bomb attacks. They don’t like the fact that it leaves the Kurdistan Region and crosses Iraqi territory for almost half of the total distance.
Yet the road, that was built by the Kurds to bypass the town and only leads past some Kurdish neighborhoods of Kirkuk, is quiet. Yes, I have seen a bomb exploding in the far distance of the town center once, but that was just a plume of smoke. And yes, there was an attack at Abdullah’s Restaurant on the route, but that did not involve the traffic. And the part of Iraq you pass, is under security control of the Kurds.
For many, the main problem is the Kurdish checkpoint of Chamchamal. As this checks the traffic coming from Kirkuk, and out of the KRG, it is very strict. Trucks, buses and taxis – any with an Iraqi number plate or Arab driver or passengers -- will be checked carefully.
It makes me feel safe enough. But foreign security officers say it is safer to stay away from Kirkuk. Does that mean that the Koya route really is better? I doubt it.
Look at all those trucks that divert to the Koya route not to lose time in the Chamchamal checkpoint. So often you get stuck in the mountains behind one that can hardly get its heavy load up the hill. Daily, lorries get stuck on the steep end towards Dokan. Tankers have to be released of their oil to be able to drive on.
Many cars skid off the road, too. You can see the burned out wrecks as a warning to speedy drivers. Still, many people drive too fast on the winding roads, overtake where it is not safe and generally take risks that endanger other road users, too. And finally, let’s not forget the sheep and cows crossing the road!
Sure, the motorway on the other route also invites drivers to speed – the burned out trucks by the roadside tell their story. Here the U-turns make driving even more dangerous, as trucks using them tend not to worry much about the oncoming traffic.
Both routes are disastrously dangerous at night, with speed bumps that appear without warning, bad lightning and too many cars blinding you with their high headlights.
Is one route really safer than the other? Sure, I also take the “high” road with my foreign guests, but only because everybody tells you to keep them away from Kirkuk.
Really, neither of the two routes is good enough when it comes to road safety. They are just constructed to get the traffic from A to B. Both have stretches with holes and worn surfaces that endanger drivers and ruin cars.
But the safety of the drivers and their passengers is hardly an issue. Nor are drivers educated in such a way that they know what safe driving means.
Neither of the routes is really up to standard, yet they are main arteries in the Kurdistan road system – dangerous arteries that urgently need attention because they are accident prone. Daily, there are accidents, often serious, often deadly.
Which brings me to the next two lines of the Scottish song.
But me and my true love will never meet again
On the bonnie, bonnie banks o' Loch Lomond.