Urban public transport : Morocco to end reliance on foreign companies

Morocco is planning to move away from foreign companies managing public bus transportation in several cities, the country’s Interior Minister said on Monday, May 27.

«We're having problems convincing private Moroccan companies to take on the delegated management of public bus services», lamented Abdelouafi Laftite during a parliamentary session.

Laftite acknowledged that «with the exception of four or five cities, public transport is not up to the expectations of Moroccans and does not reflect the Morocco of today. This is undeniable», he argued. «In the past, we've experimented with several management models for this sector, but so far we haven't found the one that suits us best», he noted.

Financed by the government, managed by the private sector

Following these comments, the Minister presented his solution: «We have drawn up the new model. As soon as possible, we're going to buy 3,500 buses and make them available to the cities, normally starting with the big ones», he explained.

«The State and the communes will buy these buses, but the management will be entrusted to private companies», he added. «I reiterate my appeal to Moroccan companies to commit to working with us over the next three or four years», he stressed.

«By 2027, we will have a transport service that meets the expectations of Moroccans», he promised. The Minister also revealed «an imminent review of all management contracts in this sector to ensure they are balanced. Most of the contracts we have today are not».

Laftite pledged to revolutionize the sector «over the next three years. The government plans to implement the new model first in major cities before expanding it nationwide».

For the record, Law 83-21, published in July 2023, created regional multiservice companies under local authority supervision. Their main mission is managing water, electricity, sanitation, and public lighting. Transport could be next.

According to Laftite, the Interior Ministry and communes have signed 31 contracts for delegated management of public transport services, many with foreign companies. This creates a burden on Morocco's foreign currency reserves as some profits are repatriated abroad.