KABUL(SW):Residents in Kabul are faced with massive traffic jams on regular basis besides the overcrowded roads and sidewalks.
Absence of proper public transport system in the city has simply crippled the capital city with most commuters relying on private cars and cabs.
On a given day, the residents normally spend hours to get to their destinations at a distance of few miles only. Some of the residents told Salam Watandar that rising population, existence of a number of ministries in the downtown, poor implementation of traffic laws have all accumulated to make mobility difficult.
Hekmat Quwanch, Spokesman for the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation, told Salam Watandar that the traffic jams are mainly due to the rise in population and lack of proper roads infrastructures in the capital.
He said that the government has enough public transport buses but poor state of roads did not allow them to commute efficiently.
He added that the number of private vehicles has increased in the city that made it very difficult to use public busses as the roads have become narrower.
He further said that India has promised to provide more busses next year.
India has also pledged to construct standardized bus stops and train the officials in the transport department.
Abdul Qader, Program Manager at the Kabul Traffic Department, told Salam Watandar that the main reasons behind traffic jams in Kabul is over population.
He said several mini busses have been allowed to commute in the city but that too could not resolve the problem.
It is said that despite thousands of private vehicles in the city, lack of proper stops for public vehicles, un-standardized roads, rising population and the VIP movement continue to hinder commuting in Kabul.
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