Some residents of Kandahar say traffic disorder in the city has increased compared with the past. According to them, accidents have also become more frequent as the number of cars and motorcycles has grown. They add that drivers’ carelessness and the failure to enforce traffic laws have made their daily lives difficult. In their view, the lack of traffic order has now become one of the everyday problems, and people face the risk of traffic accidents every day. Meanwhile, sources at Mirwais Regional Hospital in Kandahar say that between August 23 and September 22, 2026, about 61 people injured in traffic accidents were brought to the hospital, and 11 of them died because of the severity of their injuries.
Jamil, a resident of Kandahar city, says he is always worried when leaving his home because of the traffic disorder in the city. According to him, throughout the journey, his mind is occupied with how to reach his destination without an accident.
This Kandahar resident adds: “When I leave the house, I am worried because of the traffic disorder in the city. All along the way, I think about how to reach my destination without an accident. This situation is truly agonizing; neither do the drivers take precautions, nor does the Taliban’s traffic management take serious steps to prevent this disorder.”
Taliban Fighters’ Recklessness and Disregard for Traffic Rules
Residents of Kandahar have expressed concern about the reckless driving of Taliban fighters, saying that members of the group drive military vehicles at high speed on the city’s busy roads and do not consider the safety of people’s lives. In their view, such behavior has not only increased the risk of traffic accidents but has also deepened concerns about security in the city.
These Kandahar residents also expressed concern about Taliban fighters stopping their vehicles on the roads for no reason and driving against traffic rules. They say that the physical confrontation of the group’s fighters with on-duty traffic officers is another cause of traffic disorder in the city.
Haji Shahnazar, a resident of District 8 of Kandahar city, says that two months ago, a Taliban military vehicle collided with his son’s car, and as a result, his son was severely injured. According to him, instead of taking his injured son to the hospital, the perpetrators left the scene.
Shahnazar says: “My son was driving his car when suddenly a Taliban military vehicle came at high speed and collided with his car. My son fell into a coma. I am grateful to the local people who took him to the hospital in time; otherwise, he might have lost his life. But instead of helping, the perpetrators left the scene. After that, they pressured me to drop my complaint. In the end, I was forced to go through an intermediary among the Taliban to make the perpetrators pay compensation. They neither observe traffic laws nor value people’s lives.”
Some residents of Kandahar consider the appointment of non-professional individuals to lead the Taliban’s traffic management to be one of the major factors behind the city’s traffic problems. They say that Mullah Nasruddin, a member of the Taliban, has been appointed as Kandahar’s traffic director. According to these residents, he lacks professional knowledge and sufficient experience in this field, and he also treats the professional staff of the traffic department insultingly. They add that he sometimes even swears at employees.
Sayed Wali, a resident of Kandahar city, says: “When a traffic accident occurs, traffic officers arrive at the scene late and first check who the parties involved are. If a member of the Taliban is involved in the accident, they automatically blame the other party, and that person is forced to pay a bribe to get out of the situation. If he does not pay, they take his vehicle documents, driver’s license, and other related papers, and then he is forced to pay even more money to the officials of the Taliban’s traffic management. Instead of solving problems, the traffic management adds to people’s problems.”
Hussain, another resident of Kandahar city, says: “Traffic plays an important role in maintaining order in the city and protecting people’s lives; however, in many cases the officials do not apply the law equally to everyone. They release violators in exchange for connections or money, and they make excuses for the injured party to obtain a written release of claims from him.”
Rise in Underage Drivers
Children and teenagers driving cars and motorcycles are another cause of traffic disorder in Kandahar city. Residents of the city also hold the families of these children and teenagers responsible, saying that handing vehicles over to people who lack sufficient awareness of traffic laws and driving responsibilities increases the risk of traffic accidents.
Haji Bismillah, a shopkeeper in Kandahar city, says: “No matter how carefully I observe traffic rules, children with their cars or motorcycles still collide with me. One day I was heading from home to my shop when suddenly a car passed by me at very high speed. I was surprised at how this car could be moving at such a speed. A few seconds later, it crashed into a flowerpot at Qadiri Sarai intersection. The road was blocked, and people gathered. I saw that the driver was a teenager of about 14 years old, who was himself injured.”
According to him, this is the consequence of handing vehicles over to underage individuals; they cause financial damage and loss of life not only to themselves but also to others, and they put people’s lives at risk.
Unfinished Road Reconstruction Work
Residents of Districts 6, 7, and 8 of Kandahar city also complain about the slow pace of road construction and reconstruction inside the city. They say that the Taliban’s municipality demolishes buildings and walls for the purpose of widening roads and destroys various routes in the name of reconstruction, but afterward the work proceeds slowly or stops altogether.
According to them, this problem is not limited to a few districts; in various parts of the city, the normal movement of vehicles has faced serious difficulties because of road reconstruction and widening work.
Sources at Mirwais Regional Hospital in Kandahar say that during the past month of the current year, namely from August 23 to September 22, 2026, about 61 people injured in traffic accidents were brought to the hospital. According to these sources, 11 of them died because of the severity of their injuries.
These sources also add that people with minor injuries often go home without visiting the hospital; therefore, the number of injured and affected people in traffic accidents may be higher than this figure.
You can read the Persian version of the report here:
افزایش حوادث ترافیکی در قندهار؛ بینظمی طالبان و رانندهگی کودکان
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