Latest news with #AbdulBari
Gulf Today
11-07-2025
- Automotive
- Gulf Today
Fatigued Afghan taxi drivers take novel approach to AC
Broken air conditioning? Afghan taxi drivers have cobbled together a creative solution to spare them and their passengers from the sweltering heat. In Kandahar city in southern Afghanistan where temperatures easily exceed 40˚C (104 Fahrenheit), blue taxis can be spotted with an air conditioning unit strapped to the roof with an exhaust hose delivering the cool air through the passenger window. "It started getting extremely hot three or four years ago. These cars' AC systems didn't work, and repairs were too expensive. So I went to a technician, (and) had a custom cooler made," said driver Gul Mohammad. The 32-year-old spent 3,000 Afghanis ($43) for the system, which he connects to his taxi's battery and regularly refills with water. "This works better than (built-in) AC. ACs only cool the front — this cooler spreads air throughout," said fellow driver Abdul Bari. Other devices are connected to solar panels, also mounted on the taxi's roof. Afghanistan, one of the poorest countries in the world, is also one of the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. It is particularly affected by heat waves and is suffering from increased drought. An Afghan woman boards a taxi with a swamp air-cooler system installed overhead in Kandahar on Thursday. Agence France-Presse Murtaza, a 21-year-old technician, said that demand from taxi drivers has been growing over the past two or three years. "Many cars weren't equipped with air conditioning anyway, which is why we're installing these," he told AFP in his small shop in central Kandahar. Afghan cities are often saturated with ageing vehicles, which are enjoying a last-ditch life after being transferred from neighbouring countries. "When there's no cooler, it becomes very difficult," said Norullah, a 19-year-old passenger who did not provide a last name, his face inches from the blast of cold air. "These drivers are helping solve the problem, and that's great." Agence France-Presse
The Wire
11-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Wire
Afghan Taxi Drivers Have a Solution to Passengers' AC Woes
Broken air conditioning? Afghan taxi drivers have cobbled together a creative solution to spare them and their passengers from the sweltering heat. In Kandahar city in southern Afghanistan where temperatures easily exceed 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), blue taxis can be spotted with an air conditioning unit strapped to the roof with an exhaust hose delivering the cool air through the passenger window. "It started getting extremely hot three or four years ago. These cars' AC systems didn't work, and repairs were too expensive. So I went to a technician, (and) had a custom cooler made," said driver Gul Mohammad. The 32-year-old spent 3,000 Afghanis ($43) for the system, which he connects to his taxi's battery and regularly refills with water. "This works better than (built-in) AC. ACs only cool the front – this cooler spreads air throughout," said fellow driver Abdul Bari. Other devices are connected to solar panels, also mounted on the taxi's roof. Afghanistan, one of the poorest countries in the world, is also one of the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. It is particularly affected by heat waves and is suffering from increased drought. Murtaza, a 21-year-old technician, said that demand from taxi drivers has been growing over the past two or three years. "Many cars weren't equipped with air conditioning anyway, which is why we're installing these," he told AFP in his small shop in central Kandahar. Afghan cities are often saturated with ageing vehicles, which are enjoying a last-ditch life after being transferred from neighbouring countries. "When there's no cooler, it becomes very difficult," said Norullah, a 19-year-old passenger who did not provide a last name, his face inches from the blast of cold air. "These drivers are helping solve the problem, and that's great."
Kuwait Times
11-07-2025
- Automotive
- Kuwait Times
Fatigued Afghan cabbies take novel approach to AC
KANDAHAR: An Afghan taxi driver installs a swamp air-cooler system atop his vehicle at a market on July 8, 2025. - AFP KANDAHAR: Broken air conditioning? Afghan taxi drivers have cobbled together a creative solution to spare them and their passengers from the sweltering heat. In Kandahar city in southern Afghanistan where temperatures easily exceed 40 degrees Celsius, blue taxis can be spotted with an air conditioning unit strapped to the roof with an exhaust hose delivering the cool air through the passenger window. 'It started getting extremely hot three or four years ago. These cars' AC systems didn't work, and repairs were too expensive. So I went to a technician, (and) had a custom cooler made,' said driver Gul Mohammad. The 32-year-old spent 3,000 Afghanis ($43) for the system, which he connects to his taxi's battery and regularly refills with water. 'This works better than (built-in) AC. ACs only cool the front — this cooler spreads air throughout,' said fellow driver Abdul Bari. Other devices are connected to solar panels, also mounted on the taxi's roof. Afghanistan, one of the poorest countries in the world, is also one of the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. It is particularly affected by heat waves and is suffering from increased drought. Murtaza, a 21-year-old technician, said that demand from taxi drivers has been growing over the past two or three years. 'Many cars weren't equipped with air conditioning anyway, which is why we're installing these,' he told AFP in his small shop in central Kandahar. Afghan cities are often saturated with ageing vehicles, which are enjoying a last-ditch life after being transferred from neighboring countries. 'When there's no cooler, it becomes very difficult,' said Norullah, a 19-year-old passenger who did not provide a last name, his face inches from the blast of cold air. 'These drivers are helping solve the problem, and that's great.' – AFP
New Straits Times
11-07-2025
- Climate
- New Straits Times
Fatigued Afghan taxi drivers take novel approach to AC
AFGHANISTAN: Broken air conditioning? Afghan taxi drivers have cobbled together a creative solution to spare themselves and their passengers from the sweltering heat. In Kandahar city in southern Afghanistan, where temperatures easily exceed 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), blue taxis can be spotted with an air conditioning unit strapped to the roof, with an exhaust hose delivering the cool air through the passenger window. "It started getting extremely hot three or four years ago. These cars' AC systems didn't work, and repairs were too expensive. So I went to a technician and had a custom cooler made," said driver Gul Mohammad. The 32-year-old spent 3,000 Afghanis (US$43) for the system, which he connects to his taxi's battery and regularly refills with water. "This works better than built-in AC. ACs only cool the front — this cooler spreads air throughout," said fellow driver Abdul Bari. Other devices are connected to solar panels, also mounted on the taxi's roof. Afghanistan, one of the poorest countries in the world, is also one of the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. It is particularly affected by heatwaves and is suffering from increased drought. Murtaza, a 21-year-old technician, said that demand from taxi drivers has been growing over the past two or three years. "Many cars weren't equipped with air conditioning anyway, which is why we're installing these," he told AFP in his small shop in central Kandahar. Afghan cities are often saturated with ageing vehicles, which are enjoying a last-ditch life after being transferred from neighbouring countries. "When there's no cooler, it becomes very difficult," said Norullah, a 19-year-old passenger who did not provide a last name, his face inches from the blast of cold air. "These drivers are helping solve the problem, and that's great."
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Afghan taxi drivers beat the heat with handmade air coolers
In a sweltering city in Afghanistan, taxis have been spotted with scrubby barrels and exhaust tubes mounted to their roofs. These are the hand-made air coolers that taxi drivers have cobbled together in their desperate efforts to beat the heat. Temperatures regularly exceed 40C (104F) in the southern city of Kandahar, but air-conditioning units inside cars often break down, the cabbies lament. "This works better than [built-in] AC," one driver, Abdul Bari, told AFP news agency. "ACs only cool the front. This cooler spreads air throughout the car." A video from the news agency shows Mr Bari using sticky tape to attach the cooler's exhaust vent onto the taxi's window, while an assistant climbs atop the taxi to fix the body of the unit on it. The only issue with this setup is the need to manually refill water in the unit twice a day, Mr Bari said. "But it works well for me." One of the poorest countries in the world, Afghanistan is also among the most vulnerable to the impact of climate change. Temperatures in most parts of the country are expected to soar in coming weeks, the government has warned. Gul Mohammad, another taxi driver in Kandahar, says he turned to these customised coolers a few years ago as the weather started getting "extremely hot". "These cars' AC systems didn't work, and repairs were too expensive. So I went to a technician, [and] had a custom cooler made," he told AFP. The 32-year-old spent 3,000 Afghanis ($43; £32) on it. Passengers have applauded the creative solution. "When there's no cooler, it becomes very difficult. I even carry an anti-heat medicine with me," said 19-year-old Norullah, who said he recently had to get an intravenous drip to treat a heat-related illness. Afghanistan recorded its warmest-ever spring from April to June this year. A severe drought has also been spreading nationwide, devastating crops and rural livelihoods, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization said last week. Experts have repeatedly warned that the fallout from climate change would deepen Afghanistan's humanitarian crisis. The country has been left out of United Nations climate negotiations since the Taliban seized power in August 2021, after US-led forces left the country.
