RASC News Agency: Since reclaiming power in Afghanistan, the Taliban have transformed the state apparatus into an instrument of oppression, corruption, and plunder. Now, they have devised new methods to extort money from the public, with taxi drivers in Kabul becoming their latest victims. In a recent development, the Taliban have forced taxi drivers to pay 40 kabuli rupees each time they pick up passengers from designated stations. This enforced levy has not only intensified economic pressure on drivers but has also sparked widespread outrage among the public. Investigations by RASC News Agency reveal that the Taliban extract these payments through intimidation and brute force, with non-compliance met with harassment, beatings, and even vehicle confiscation.
A Kabul taxi driver, speaking on condition of anonymity due to fear of Taliban retaliation, shared his ordeal with RASC:
“We are forced to pay this fee multiple times a day. Our earnings barely cover basic necessities, yet the Taliban extort money from us without any justification. If we resist, they seize our vehicles and mistreat us.” Reports indicate that the Taliban have established collection points across several districts in Kabul, including Pul-e-Surkh, Charahi Sadarat, Deh Mazang, Sarai Shamali, and Karte Naw. Drivers are only permitted to pick up passengers from these locations upon paying the Taliban-imposed fee.
A veteran taxi driver, with over a decade of experience in Kabul, expressed his frustration:
“We already had enough struggles, but now the Taliban are openly robbing us. They operate with impunity, and no one dares to challenge their tyranny.” The Taliban have institutionalized extortion as a lucrative revenue stream, ruthlessly suppressing any resistance. Local sources confirm multiple incidents where taxi drivers who refused to pay were violently assaulted by armed Taliban militants, and their vehicles confiscated.
A Kabul resident who witnessed such an incident recounted to RASC:
“I saw a driver pleading with the Taliban, explaining that he could no longer afford to pay. They responded by attacking him with the butt of a rifle and driving off with his car. Their brutality proves that they are only interested in looting the people.” The Taliban’s predatory policies have placed a crushing burden on taxi drivers and ordinary citizens alike, with many struggling to afford skyrocketing transportation costs. Drivers, unable to absorb these forced payments, have been left with no choice but to raise fares, further exacerbating the financial strain on the already impoverished population.
A Kabul resident who relies on taxis daily told RASC:
“The Taliban have stolen our security, and now they are making everyday life unbearable. People can’t afford these additional costs, yet the Taliban keep tightening their grip on us.”
Many Afghanistanis believe the Taliban have no interest in economic development and instead operate as a mafia-like syndicate, draining resources from the population to fuel their own financial and military ambitions. With unemployment and poverty at record highs, the Taliban’s extortion scheme is pushing Kabul’s taxi industry toward collapse. A growing number of drivers have either abandoned the profession or are considering fleeing the country.
One driver, speaking to RASC, warned:
“If this continues, there will soon be no taxi drivers left in Kabul. Our only choices are to leave the country or find another job but in this economy, finding work is impossible.”
The Taliban, who seized power under the pretense of restoring “order and security,” are instead driving Afghanistan into economic ruin while enforcing an oppressive rule over its people. The extortion of taxi drivers is just one example of their daily acts of tyranny, as they systematically tighten their grip on the country and suffocate the livelihoods of ordinary citizens.
If this trend continues, Afghanistan will face an economic and social collapse so severe that survival for the average citizen will become nearly impossible. Under Taliban rule, the country has become a vast prison where there is neither security nor hope for the future.
