The Ministry of Interior (MoI) on Saturday said Herat-Kandahar highway was reopened after addressing problems of traders and transport companies.
Traders and a number of transport companies had blocked the highway in protest to illegal extortions.
MoI in a statement, received by Pajhwok Afghan News, said that deputy interior minister, Maj. Gen. Khushal Saadat traveled to western Herat province for assessing situation on the highway.
The source said that Saadat met with representatives of traders and transport companies who blocked the highway in protest to illegal extortions.
Saadat assured the traders and transport companies that they would be paid special attention for their security and anyone creating problems for cargo truck drivers would be tried according to the law, the statement read.
Asadullah, a truck driver on Kandahar-Herat highway, said that they reopened the highway after two weeks of protest.
He said that hundreds of truck drivers had protested in reaction to illegal extortions by police and Taliban militants on the highway.
He said that officials assured them that they would no longer face problems on the highway.
“Every police post on Kandahar-Herat highway take money from drivers, if drivers refuse to give the money, police would stop them for hours, beat them and insult them,” he said.
“Police take from 2,000 Afghanis to 5,000 Afghanis from every truck driver on the highway, the Taliban also take from 5,000 Afghanis to 35,000 Afghanis as tax from drivers,” he said.
He said that both the Taliban and police bothered them and they were forced to stage a protest.
