The Sulaimani mayor's office issued several instructions for buses and taxis that transport students on Wednesday, warning both the Eastern and Western Education Directorates of Sulaimani to report any violations to the Traffic Supervision Committee.

The Sulaimani mayorship would monitor buses and taxis taking students to school from now on, the Sulaimani mayor's office said. Most students board buses and taxis to go to school as other means of transport as absent in the city.

The authorities also issued other instructions for drivers that take students to school. The Committee to Monitor Student Transport Asks bus and taxi drivers to obey traffic regulations and drive safely. Their vehicles must meet safety requirements and have working heating and cooling systems. The drivers privately own many buses and taxis transporting students to schools. Students usually complain about conditions within buses as they lack a functioning heating or cooling system.

The committee also said that it has set up a unit to "constantly" monitor transport vehicles and collect documents from the drivers.

"Transportation fees are determined according to geographical area, distance and location traits," the committee said in an attempt to regulate commuting fees. The price of student transport is usually determined by the deal made between the drivers and the students.

The committee also published a hotline for parents to reach out to whenever they come across any violations.  

Over half of the population in the Kurdistan region's 6.5 million people are below 25 years of age, and most are busy studying at schools. An increasing number of students rely on buses and taxis to commute to schools, which is largely unregulated.