KABUL (SW): As more and more vehicles flock to the streets in the capital Kabul on daily basis, commuters and the traffic officials alike have been annoyed by the mess caused due to violation of the traffic rules.
Talking to Salam Watandar, a number of transporters charged that the traffic officials, instead of properly enforcing the traffic rules, are busy making illegal money via bribes. Esmatullah, Rehmatullah and Zamir Islam, three such commuters said in their remarks that they and their fellows have been insulted and forced to pay bribe by the traffic officials on a number of occasions.
Sayed Mehboob, head of traffic police in the capital, however discard these allegations. He said that many commuters violate the traffic rules on regular basis but when they are caught and charged they level such allegations. Sayed Mehboob went on to say that the traffic police is open to complaints and criticism, and whoever has grievances can come and lodge their complaints. The head of capital city traffic police hinted that efforts are underway to digitalize the system so that the fine imposed on violators goes straight to the bank instead of cash to the traffic police. He also rejected the charges about traffic police issuing fake fine receipts.
Meanwhile, analysts believe that though the traffic police does have an authority to implement the rules but this authority should not be abused.
Parvez Ali Shenge, an expert on legal affairs lamented that a bad culture of traffic officials abusing the commuters has developed in the past few years. He underlined the need for training and educating the traffic officials. “This is against the human rights when a traffic official starts physically beating a commuter who has violated traffic laws”, he noted.
ENDS
