Opposition-led government in Syria's Idlib increases taxes on motorcycles
Civilians in northwest Syria, where motorcycles constitute a common and inexpensive method of transport, are struggling to pay several new taxes imposed by the HTS-led government.
A police officer confiscated Amer al-Dioub's motorcycle when he was on his way to work in Al-Dana city in the northern countryside of Syria's Idlib province on Nov. 10.
Dioub, a construction worker, bought his motorcycle four years ago. It spared him the hassle of finding a taxi and paying a daily fee to go to work.
However, the General Directorate of Transport in the so-called Salvation Government of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) issued a decision in early 2018 requiring that all motorcycles be registered within one month, with a penalty of doubling the registration fees and impounding the motorcycle. On April 4, 2021, the Salvation Government ruled that unregistered vehicles would be confiscated.
The "Salvation Government" is the de facto government of the Syrian opposition in Idlib, formed in November 2017 by HTS. The latter is the most powerful Islamist group in Idlib and is considered a terrorist organization by much of the international community.
