The General Directorate of Traffic has reported a concerning rise in traffic incidents across the country, with over 2,700 incidents occurring in the past six months. These incidents have resulted in more than 1,200 fatalities and 4,000 injuries.
Kabul 24: Officials attribute the increase in traffic incidents to several factors, including:
Non-compliance with traffic laws
Excessive speeding
Driving by underage individuals
Abdul Wadood Khairkhwah, director of Planning and Policy at the Kabul Traffic Directorate, provided a breakdown of the casualties: “Approximately 700 men, 103 women, and 377 children have also died, with a total of 1,200 fatalities.”
Drivers’ Perspectives
Many drivers believe that urban congestion, lack of standard roads, and some drivers operating without licenses are contributing to the rise in traffic incidents.
Murtaza, a driver, commented: “Many young people are on the roads; they do not know the traffic laws properly, and that is why accidents happen.”
Nangialai, another driver, said: “Some drivers neither have a license nor are of legal age. The government should pay attention to this.”
Proposed Solutions
Residents have called for the government to take action to reduce traffic incidents. Mohammad Mansour, a Kabul resident, said: “Our demand from the government is that those without licenses should not be allowed to operate within the city, and also, the congestion in the cities should be reduced.”
Previously, the General Directorate of Traffic Police had announced plans to implement an electronic management system on five major highways that have seen the most traffic incidents.
