BAMYAN CITY (Pajhwok): Traffic accidents have killed and wounded more than 270 people in central Daikundi province so far during the current year, fuelling grave concerns among inhabitants and officials.
The worrisome situation has prompted this common public riposte: Road crashes cause as many fatalities in Daikundi as suicide attacks trigger in other provinces of the country.
Daikundi is a relatively stable province, with impassible and lousy roads, which arewidely cited as a principal cause of fatal crashes.Residents want the government to focus on building the key roads.
The provincial traffic department has documented 130 accidents so far during the current year. Forty-one people, including women and children, lost their lives and 230 others suffered injured.
Provincial traffic department chief, Maj. Rahmatullah Ibrahimi, acknowledged a four-fold rise in accidents since March 21. At least 41 people have been killed and 50 others injured.
Unconstructed and impassible roads as well as violation of traffic rules are a major reasons for the fatal bumps. He told Pajhwok Afghan News if roads in the province were asphalted, traffic accidents would decrease.
Mohammad Reza Alamdar, a university student, remarked traffic mishaps resulted in as many casualties in Bamyan as suicide attacks caused in other parts of the country.
He linked the increase in traffic accidents to the movement of unregistered motorcycles and vehicles in Daikundi.In May 2015, at least five people including two women were killed and 13 others injured when a mini-bus crash in Shahristan district.
Three policemen died and two others sustained injuries when their pick-up plunged into a valley in the same district earlierin the year. Eight individuals were killed and four others wounded in another crash in Miramor district.
Provincial council member Rahimizada regretted the increasing traffic accidents,blaming the government for its failure construct roads. Additionally, he alleged, drivers violated traffic rules.
The deadliestroad crash occurred in Kiti district, where 10 intending pilgrims were killed last year.Mohammad Reza Amiri, a resident of Kiti district, recalled: “One of the victims was my uncle, whose dream to perform Haj didn’t come true.”
He claimed roads in his area were impassable and narrow, with people using footpaths as parking lots. The messy situation further contributes to traffic snarl-ups and chaos.
“The government has consistently ignored Daikundi. Not a single asphalted road can be seen in our province,where deadly traffic accidents have been on the rise,” he complained.
Eight preachers were killed in July 2013, when their car veered off the road in Daikundi.Some people of the province complain that governance was very weak there and paid no attention to development and welfare projects.
A civil society, has not been a priority for local authorities, as people are still yearning for basic items.”
Not even one metre of road had been asphalted in Daikundi, whose inhabitants remained deprived of elemental facilities like electricity, hygienic food items, standard hospitals and educational institutes, he lamented.
Some mothers lose their lives in childbirth on their way to health, where governance was yet to be improved.
At the Tokyo Conference in July 2012, the global fraternity pledged 18 billion US dollars in aid to the Afghan government to combat corruption and improve governance.
Located 460 kilometers west of Kabul, Ghazni, Uruzgan and Helmand provinces.
mds/mud
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