Morocco Faces 'Illegal Transport Nightmare' During Eid al-Adha Amid Safety Fears

As Morocco prepares for Eid al-Adha, the familiar "kaboos al-naql al-sari" – the nightmare of illegal transport – is resurfacing. Civil society groups are voicing concerns over a potential repeat of fatal accidents, urging for better regulation of the sector to curb deadly incidents.

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The rural world suffers from a severe shortage and lack of equity in access to safe and beneficial public transport.

Activists point to a critical lack of safe and adequate public transportation, particularly in rural areas. This deficit forces residents to rely on "dual transport" (Nقل مزدوج) and "tricycles" (التريبورتور), vehicles ill-equipped to ensure safe and sustainable travel. Abdoul Wahid Ziyad, head of the Moroccan Network for Civil Alliance for Youth, stated that current transport conditions are characterized by overcrowding, excessive speed, and unsuitable vehicles, frequently resulting in tragic accidents.

Ziyad proposed a two-tiered system: one for passengers, specifically catering to the needs of rural communities, including children, farmers, and agricultural workers, and another for goods and livestock. He also emphasized the need for training and professional development for those working in the "illegal transport" sector, recognizing it as a source of daily income.

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The transport conditions currently used are characterized by overcrowding, speed, and unsuitable vehicles, which often lead to painful accidents and disasters.

Elias Slaib, director of the Center for Training Professional Drivers and head of the National Observatory for Road Safety in Morocco, noted that Eid al-Adha triggers mass travel as workers return home. The compressed holiday schedule, often granting only one day off before the holiday, creates immense pressure on existing transport networks like buses and taxis. Despite state investments in railways, regional lines, such as the one between Oujda and Fez, suffer from a severe lack of service, with only two or three trains daily, insufficient for peak travel periods.

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Eid al-Adha is an exceptional religious and social occasion for Moroccans that cannot be dispensed with, pushing large segments of workers to flee en masse to their original cities to meet family.

Slaib further highlighted structural issues contributing to accidents, including poor vehicle maintenance, the continued use of dilapidated buses, and a lack of experience among some drivers in major companies handling long distances. Drivers face pressure from permit holders to maximize profits, leading to speeding and neglecting rest periods, which impairs concentration. Additionally, some illegally inflate ticket prices, pushing passengers toward unsafe alternatives. To address these problems, authorities are urged to increase price monitoring, enforce bus capacity limits, and enhance oversight of driver training centers to ensure drivers are aware of safety protocols.

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We are still recording a severe shortage on some regional lines. For example, the line connecting Oujda and Fez shows a clear shortage in the number of trips, with only two or three trains daily, which is insufficient and requires intensifying trips during these seasons.