Truckers say no longer fleeced on highways

KANDAHAR CITY (Pajhwok): Traders and truck drivers in southern Kandahar province say illegal extortion on highways has come to and, with transportation of goods seeing an uptick this last month.

On March 14, a Pajhwok Afghan News report revealed 600,000 afghanis were extorted from truck drivers on a daily basis and the money ended up in pockets of certain individuals.

The report alleged that police, transport officials and traffic authorities extorted money from truck drivers.

The truckers often complained about the problem at police checkpoints on the Kandahar-Herat highway. Hundreds of trucks ply the route daily.

The report sought to investigate illegal payments in Kandahar, interviewing dozens of drivers and sharing their videos and photos with Pajhwok.

Six months after releasing the report, Pajhwok once again interviewed traders, truck drivers and members of Truck Drivers’ Association. They said the problem had been solved.

Lalai, a truck driver plying the Herat-Kabul highway, said no one stopped him for money on the highway between Herat and Kabul.

He recalled in the past he had to pay taxes to the government and Taliban besides bribing police at security posts. Police would open fire at them and beat them if drivers refused to stop, he grumbled.

“In the past, when we would start our journey from Herat to Kabul, police forced us into giving them bribes. They harassed us in Mir Daud, Farah Rod, Shindand, Greshk, Yakhchal, Sangin Durahi and Zheri areas. On th way from Kandahar to Kabul, they would extort money from us in Jaldak, Noorak, Jandah, Krosai, Maqur and many other areas,” he charged.

He explained there was no fixed amount of money sought from them; it was based on an agreement between the two sides, ranging between 500 and 10,000 afghanis.

Drivers were extorted by transport officers on borders and by traffic officers in cities, said, adding that only Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers did not force them into greasing their palms.

But after the Taliban takeover, drivers pay taxes at a single point and no one asks them for bribes, according to Lalai.

He noted the transportation of goods had spiked because trucks were no longer impeded by roadside bombings and firefights on highways.

Mohammad Sabir, another trucker, confirmed the route had been secured and drivers were not extorted.

Previously, he said, they had to pay bribes at police posts on a daily basis, roads would be closed all too often and drivers had to wait for hours.

Some policemen would ask drivers to deliver the money at their posts on hilltops. Some security personnel would send down jerry cans through a rope and coerce drivers to put money in them, he recollected.

But he is happy now that illegal activities have stopped. In the past, drivers could not resolve their problem despite lodging protests with the authorities concerned.

Haji Niaz Mohammad, transports gas in his tanker from Herat, said police would charge him 100 to 150 afghanis in the Zherai district of Kandahar, 200 to 300 afghanis in Maiwand, 5,000 to 20,000 Pakistani rupees at another security post in the main bazaar of the same district and around 3,500 afghanis at several other posts in neighbouring Helmand.

There was no longer bribery on highways and drivers proceeded without any fear or problem, he remarked.

Haji Niamatullah Alokozai, head of the Kandahar Truck Drivers’ Association, called the extortion and shabby treatment of drivers on highways a serious problem that affected traders. The practice, however, had stopped, he said.

He estimated 300 trucks plied Kandahar, Herat, Farah, Nimroz and Helmand highway on daily basis on average. He said that each truck was extorted by police from 2,000 to 3,000 Afghanis from Durahi area of Lashkargah, capital of Helmand province to Baghpul area of Kandahar province on daily basis.

On average, police collected 600,000 afghanis in a day and 18 million afghanis a month from truck drivers and the money ended up in pockets of local strongmen.

Kandahar Chamber of Commerce, chief Haji Nasrullah Zaheer told Pajhwok security being the most important thing for trade must be ensured.

He insisted traders were happy about the changed situation and a lng-awaited solution to their problems.

Haji Yunus Momand, deputy head of the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, also confirmed that illegal extortions on highways had come to a halt.

He said that truck drivers their taxes at a single point on borders and they were no longer forced to pay extra money.

The Taliban had reduced tax on food products and traders were able to transport eatables to any corner of the country, he acknowledged.

Kandahar Governor Haji Yousuf Wafa claimed providing a safe environment for the movement of trucks and resolving all their problems.

This report has been produced by Pajhwok and financially supported by UNDP and Denmark.

mds/mud

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