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Afghan government to dissolve all fake transport companies

The Ministry of Transport of Afghanistan reported that it plans to carry out a registration and evaluation review of all transport companies operating in the country. Based on information provided by the transport ministry, a number of individuals have applied for transport licenses despite not having vehicles. The ministry said this points towards misuse of licenses. “To combat corruption and to provide more facilities to the citizens, we have decided to dissolve all fake transport companies. We will establish companies with the necessary standards and necessary equipment,” said spokesman for the ministry. These fake licenses will be cancelled once our assessments are wrapped up, said the ministry. But officials from the transport union have said that the fake companies had been established with the support of lawbreakers who are involved in extortion. They claim these companies coordinate with certain people who have restaurants and terminals along the Kabul-Herat highway and charge travelers double the price for transport. “Restaurants ask 400 Afghanis (around 5 euros) in exchange for one ticket, but they pay us only 200 Afghanis,” said a bus driver who travels the Kabul-Herat highway. “The transport of travelers should not be determined by restaurant owners, who pay money to fake companies to make their demands. Whenever we criticize them, powerful elements come out in their support,” said a member of the transport union. “47 companies operate in the west of Afghanistan and are based in the capital Kabul, but only 7 of these companies are real, 40 other companies are fake,” said the managing director of a private transport company.