KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Local Taliban officials in Nangarhar and Laghman have reported that five people were killed and 11 others injured in traffic incidents in the two provinces.
The Taliban’s police command in Nangarhar stated that at around 2:00 PM today (Saturday, March 28), a passenger vehicle veered off the road and overturned in Bati Kot district along the Jalalabad–Torkham highway.
According to the statement, four people were killed and one person was injured in the accident.
The cause of the accident has been attributed to reckless driving and overspeeding.
Meanwhile, the Taliban’s police command in Laghman reported that a Mercedes vehicle collided with a three-wheeler in Mehtarlam city, killing one person and injuring 10 others.
The statement added that two women and five children are among the injured.
The authorities in Laghman have not provided details about the cause of this accident.
Traffic accidents claim hundreds of lives every year in Afghanistan and leave many more injured.
The main causes of these incidents are said to be driver negligence, lack of traffic signs, and poor road conditions.
In a related development, the Taliban’s traffic management in Kandahar announced that three-wheelers will no longer be allowed to operate inside the city.
In a statement issued today (Saturday, March 28), drivers of three-wheelers were asked to operate in areas outside Kandahar city and in districts instead.
The traffic authority said the decision was made by the group’s leadership to improve traffic arrangement and reduce congestion.
The Taliban had previously banned three-wheelers in Herat and several other cities across the country.
Drivers of three-wheelers say that following these restrictions, they have become unemployed and are facing serious economic challenges.
In recent years, concerns over road safety and urban traffic management have increased across Afghanistan, with authorities attempting to impose stricter regulations. However, limited infrastructure, lack of enforcement mechanisms, and economic dependence on informal transport systems continue to complicate efforts to reduce accidents and improve traffic arrangement in major cities.
Traffic accidents claim hundreds of lives each year in Afghanistan and leave many more injured. Officials frequently cite reckless driving, poor road conditions and a lack of traffic signs as the main causes of such incidents.
Road crashes have surged since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Data reviewed by Etilaatroz and KabulNow indicate a fivefold rise in accidents, with 1,187 recorded between March 2021 and March 2022, rising to 2,662 the following year, and at least 5,520 between March 2023 and March 2024, a nearly 80% increase over two years. Recent reports indicate the trend has persisted, with hundreds killed and injured in recent months across multiple provinces.
