A number of Afghan MPs warned Saturday that traffic accidents across Afghanistan – after incidents from conflicts – take the highest number of victims, pointing out that the dilemma could bring out tragic outcomes in case it is not well addressed.
"Besides problems we have with armed opposition groups' mad suicide attacks, traffic accidents as well take lives of many of our people,"
said Sharifullah Kamawal, MP, "Traffic Department and the Interior Ministry are incapable of handling this."
According to the officials of the Afghan traffic department, insecurity has led to lack of traffic controllers over highways in Afghanistan, a deficiency that is considered to be the cause of the accidents.
It also seems that there is no sufficient monitoring over the highways, laws are not enforced, and drivers do not care about passengers' safety.
Traffic Department, however, said it has prepared a plan for a fresh highway patrol unit.
"We have put together a plan for founding a patrol unit, and have sent it to high-rank officials. God willing, we will have many highways controlled if the plan is approved," General Nezamuddin Dadkhah general director of Traffic Department told TOLOnews.
As a landlocked country, Afghanistan is exceptionally dependent on its highways – country's vessels with political-economical importance – among which more specifically the east-centre highways are currently experiencing lethal incidents which have been less reflected and less concerned to be impeded.
"From Jalalabad to this place, which is close to Kabul, there were four accidents [once]. The traffic [department] staff did not check other parts but here, because it's close to Kabul," a Jalalabad resident told TOLOnews.
MP Assadullah Sharifi said "Thousands of our citizens lose their lives in traffic accidents. This issue needs to be seriously addressed."