Lack of signals disarrays traffic in Zaranj: Residents

ZARANJ (Pajhwok): Residents of Zaranj, the capital of northwestern Nimroz province, complain the lack of traffic lights has disarrayed traffic in the city and ask officials concerned to address the problem.

Sulaiman Tajik, resident of Zaranj city, said he was carrying a patient in his car when got stuck in traffic jam resulting from lack of traffic lights.

He said Zaranj city had no traffic signals since many years and lately traffic police were rarely seen to regulate traffic.

“Anyone anywhere parks his vehicle and blocks the road and vehicles cannot emerge from a street in half an hour,” Tajik added.

Meanwhile, Abdul Rashid Barakzai another resident and a taxi driver, also complained about unruly and disorderly traffic, with drivers bearing the brunt of the situation.

He said: “In cities traffic signs control traffic and traffic police work to establish order, but our province has been lacking traffic signs for many years”.

Barakzai complained about the increasing number of rickshaws and their non-compliance with traffic rules: “Rickshaws have increased in the city and they keep both sides of a road blocked”.

Nimroz traffic department head Maulvi Samiullah Jabir told Pajhwok Afghan News that traffic personnel despite being in small formation were trying to maintain traffic order.

He explained: “A few personnel worked in the traffic management in the previous government. We had  a total of 23 traffic policemen, but after the Islamic Emirate’s takeover, traffic personnel were increased for each province. A new formation has also been ordered for the Zaranj-Delaram highway, which has not yet arrived”.

He said: “We have devised plans with municipality, traffic signals will be installed in the city and work to install signals on the Zaranj-Delaram highway is underway”.

He asked residents to cooperate with the traffic department in managing traffic and warned violators of traffic rules of legal action.

hz/ma

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