Hundreds of rickshaws impounded in Jalalabad

JALALABAD (PAN): A large number of rickshaws have been impounded by traffic police in eastern Nangarhar province, drivers complained to a parliamentary delegation on Monday.

Almost 150 of the drivers discussed their problems with Haji Abdul Zahir Qadeer, the head of the Law Supporting Coalition and leader of the team, at a meeting in the provincial capital Jalalabad.

Police had locked away almost 200 unregistered rickshaws over the past two weeks, Ashaqullah, a driver from Behsud district, told Pajhwok Afghan News.

“The government is not granting us registration documents,” said another driver, Sifatullah, who urged the authorities concerned to address their problem on a priority basis.

Qadeer called the presidential order for city cleanliness an act of cruelty, saying the poor including drivers and handcart owners should not be deprived of their livelihood under the garb of the directives.

The parliamentary panel head asked the government to grant registrations documents to the drivers and allocate an alternative place to handcart owners.

“There are 5,000 rickshaws in Jalalabad city, disturbing the traffic system,” said Nangarhar traffic chief, Col. Ghulam Dastagir Rahimi. The drivers could not be given registration documents until they paid the custom duty, he explained.

mas/mud