Morocco prepares for $1bn magic bus to hit the streets

Morocco is preparing to launch a comprehensive urban bus transport program that will span 84 cities and urban areas between 2025 and 2029, Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit announced during a parliamentary session, according to Yabiladi News on June 3rd.

During the weekly oral question session in the House of Representatives, Laftit noted that the program’s first phase will include 37 delegating authorities. These consist of 18 municipalities, 12 intercommunal cooperation entities, and 7 groups of territorial communities. The initiative aims to enhance mobility and strengthen public transport networks across the country.

The Moroccan government has earmarked a total of 11 billion dirhams for its upcoming urban bus transport program, which will run from 2025 to 2029. The funding will support the purchase of 3,746 buses and the rollout of modern infrastructure, including ticketing systems, passenger information tools, parking facilities, bus stops, signage, and maintenance centers.

According to government figures, the combined annual contributions from the Ministries of the Interior and Finance have risen from 1 to 1.5 billion dirhams, boosting the program’s yearly budget from 2 to 3 billion dirhams.

Morocco’s ambitious urban bus transport program is being rolled out in three phases, with the initial stage already underway. This first phase includes six delegating authorities and extends to 23 cities and urban areas.

According to officials, calls for tenders to provide project management assistance have been issued in key cities such as Marrakech, Tangier, Tetouan, Agadir, Benslimane, and Fez. 

Local development companies have also started the process of buying 1,317 buses as part of the first stage of the program.

So far, contracts have been signed for 968 of the planned buses. However, the tenders for the remaining 349 buses will be reopened because the previous bids didn’t meet the required standards.

The second phase of the program will expand to 24 more cities and urban areas, involving 18 local authorities. This stage includes preparing tenders to purchase 827 buses, set up their management systems, and find future operators.

The third and final phase will bring in 13 more local authorities and extend the service to an additional 37 cities and towns. This rollout will follow a timeline based on when current public transport contracts come to an end.

Yabiladi/ Maghrebi.org