NEILI (Pajhwok): A number of drivers, provincial council members, civil society activists and shopkeepers in central Daikundi province on Thursday demanded the government to forthwith sack the traffic director who they alleged of involvement in corruption.
The protest held as the traffic department recently put a ban on unregistered vehicles in Neili city, the provincial capital.
The protesters accused the traffic department of corruption and said that traffic officers take money from drivers on one pretext or another.
Ali Jan, a resident of Neili city, said traffic officers did not discharge their duties but they prefer to mint money.
The driver told Pajhwok Afghan News the traffic department should ban the unregistered cars much earlier. Currently, more than one thousand non-customed paid cars were plying in Daikundi.
He said most of the cars were imported from Wesh area in Baluchistan province of Pakistan without bearing valid number plates.
Ali Jan complained that a driving license which should be paid only 10 Afghanis as tax cost 250 Afghanis by the traffic department. The drivers without licenses should pay 200 Afghanis every day to the traffic personnel, he added.
He demanded the government to register the non-custom paid vehicles in the province.
Deputy provincial council head Subhan Naiebi who participated in the protest said that some people were issued their driver license without appearing for driving test while others should face problems despite the fact that they would qualify for the license.
“We want demand the government to remove the traffic department director and replace him with a professional and competent officer,” he said.
But traffic director Maj. Rahmatullah Ibrahimi ruled out corruption in his office. He said his men were trying to implement established traffic rules.
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