KABUL (SW) – Officials at the General Directorate of Traffic Police of the de-facto government’s Ministry of Interior say that 4,268 traffic accidents occurred in Afghanistan last year, resulting in more than 1,260 deaths and nearly 6,000 injuries.
According to the department, 3,286 accidents were caused by non-compliance with traffic rules, 286 accidents due to lack of driving skills, 107 accidents due to technical problems, 447 accidents due to problems with the roads, 11 accidents due to problems in traffic and other facilities.
Officials said they will implement plan for the five highways in the country to reduce traffic accidents and will also chalk out rules in regard to the right-hand drive vehicles.
Hasibullah Mukhtar, the head of the traffic police, said the Kabul-Torkham, Kabul-Gardez, Kabul-Herat, Kabul-Faryab and Kabul-Badakhshan highways were among the highways where the project would be implemented. “On the highways, 10 traffic vehicles have been assigned to control the speed of passenger and freight vehicles, and in all provinces located at the end the highways, traffic police have been appointed to control the documents of drivers and the speed of their vehicles. Some 608 personnel of one battalion are deployed on the four highways.”
He said out of 4,000 traffic accidents that occurred last year, up to 2,159 involved right-hand drive vehicles.
Mukhtar, said there were more than 700,000 right-hand drive vehicles in the country, of which 500,000 were registered and legalized. According to Mukhtar, the department plans to change the steering wheel of right-hand drive vehicles via a new company. “We intend to transfer right-hand drive vehicles to Afghanistan and in this regard, talks are underway with relevant ministries such as finance and the cabinet is also involved. Let’s find a solution so that up to 10,000 cars enter Afghanistan, and do not travel on the streets, and are changed and exported to other countries.”
A number of traffic experts say that to reduce traffic accidents, standard transport companies and passenger and freight vehicles on highways should be connected to the GPS system.
Abdul Samad, a traffic affairs expert, said the decision of the traffic police chief to change the right-hand drive vehicles was against internationally accepted standards and the implementation of the plan could increase the number of traffic accidents. “If we change the steerings of these vehicles, they lose their quality. causes traffic accidents. It is very dangerous and can cause accidents. Import of right-hand drive vehicles should be banned.”
According to the statistics provided by the General Directorate of Traffic Police of the de-facto government’s Ministry of Interior, there are currently more than one million vehicles operating in Afghanistan, of which 500,000 are registered and legalized.
