The Taliban have started reconstructing an 80-kilometer road in the Salang Pass and announced their intention to collect “tolls” from passengers and drivers for its construction. According to the group, this is the second major “national economic” project after the Qosh Tepa Canal, aimed at easing transportation from the north to the south and promoting trade development upon completion.
However, there are divergent opinions among drivers and passengers regarding this plan, with some supporting it and others opposing it. Critics of the toll collection scheme point to the country’s dire economic situation, arguing that people cannot afford to pay these fees. They claim that the Taliban are extracting money from them under various pretexts, while many struggle to even afford basic necessities like bread.
Despite this, the Taliban maintain that only drivers will be subject to toll charges if the plan is implemented. On the other hand, some economic experts, while endorsing the project, emphasize the need for transparency in the collection process.
In a press release on July 12, the Taliban’s Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs announced the initiation of an 80-kilometer road reconstruction project in the Salang Pass. The press release stated that the project has been contracted to two private companies and is expected to be completed within two years. Although the total cost of the road construction remains undisclosed, during the project’s inauguration, Deputy Prime Minister of Economic Affairs Abdul Ghani Baradar highlighted its significance as the second major “national and economic” initiative after the Qosh Tepa Canal, aimed at enhancing trade transportation from the north to the south.
Meanwhile, sources report that the Taliban are working on a plan to collect tolls from passengers and drivers using the Salang Pass route. An anonymous source from the Salang Pass Maintenance and Monitoring Authority revealed to the Hasht-e Subh Daily that tolls will be collected from passengers and drivers through “Toll Plazas” for the reconstruction of the 80-kilometer Salang Pass road.
The source emphasized that the construction of the Toll Plazas has started on both sides of the Salang Pass, and once completed, toll collection from passengers and drivers for the road’s reconstruction will begin. The source stated, “Through the new plan that the Taliban have worked on, they intend to collect 5,000 Afghanis from each large cargo or passenger vehicle and 1,100 Afghanis from fast-moving vehicles.”
However, the Taliban have denied the claim of toll collection from passengers, stating that this plan will only apply to drivers. Mawlawi Abdul Karim Agha, the head of the Salang Pass Maintenance and Monitoring Authority of the Taliban, said, “We have currently started work on two sections, and we are currently working on the smooth surface section. The main reconstruction work will begin after the collection of construction materials. Until the smooth surface work and material transfer are completed, the toll plan will not be implemented. Our leaders are working on the toll collection plan, and if this plan is implemented, it’s possible that drivers will pay the toll. However, the claim of collecting money from passengers is a Western conspiracy.”
The toll collection plan has faced reactions from some drivers, passengers, and economic experts. Opponents criticize the toll collection scheme, stating that people can’t afford to pay this money due to the country’s poor economic conditions. Nusratullah, a driver on the Kabul-Mazar route, argues that people can’t even afford to buy a piece of bread, and the Taliban use various pretexts to collect money from them. He said, “I am a driver of a Corolla car, and I make the trip to Mazar-i-Sharif once a week. Given that, how much fare can I charge to cover more than one thousand Afghanis for tolls? And add to that the expenses of road usage, fuel, and the representative’s fees.”
Hussain Shah, a resident of Balkh province intending to travel from the province Parwan to Balkh, commented on the Taliban’s toll plan at the Salang Pass, saying, “Perhaps the Taliban won’t directly charge tolls from passengers, but the money they collect from drivers adversely affects us, as drivers are forced to raise fares. In short, the Taliban have introduced highway robbery. Where is the money they earn from mining extraction?” He added, “If the Taliban use ten percent of the money they agreed with the Pakistanis for coal extraction, this highway will be significantly reconstructed.”
However, some citizens support the toll collection for the reconstruction of the Salang Pass and emphasize the need for transparency in the process of money collection. Mustafa, a resident of Baghlan, told the Hasht-e Subh Daily, “This practice is common worldwide and has satisfactory results if the money is collected from commuters in a balanced manner with their economy in mind. Secondly, the money should be solely used for the reconstruction of the Salang Pass and be transparent and free from embezzlement.”
Some economic experts also state that toll collection has a legitimate place in the economy, and many countries utilize this method to generate revenue. Mujib Osmani, a university professor, and an economic expert, said, “Toll collection exists in all developed and even advanced countries. As Afghanistan doesn’t have defined revenues, this action yields positive results, and governments can rebuild economic infrastructure through toll collection. However, the emphasis should be on creating transparency and being accountable. They should provide monthly reports on the amount of money collected.”
The Salang Highway, connecting nine northern provinces and four major trade ports to Kabul, has been in a state of disrepair for seven years. It’s worth mentioning that previous governments have also repaired the Salang Highway several times, but due to poor-quality asphalt, the highway was destroyed again in less than a year.
