Tourism transport professionals warn of 'unfair competition' from smart apps

Moroccan tourism transport professionals have entered into a direct confrontation with ride-hailing companies, particularly Uber, over the latter's use of private vehicles for passenger transport. As Uber announces its expansion in Morocco, tourism professionals are voicing strong criticism, accusing the company of deviating from its initial agreement to exclusively use licensed tourist transport.

Several professional bodies, including the National Syndicate of Tourist Transport, the Moroccan Organization for Tourist Transport, and the Regional Association of Tourist Transport Casablanca-Settat, have noted that Uber's expansion is "effectively happening through carriers that do not belong to the licensed tourist transport sector." They argue this is a "clear violation of the model the company itself announced upon entering Morocco."

These organizations assert that this expansion undermines the investments made by licensed professionals, fosters "unfair competition" against law-abiding businesses, and exploits the legal framework of licensed tourist transport to facilitate activities operating outside of it. While stating they are not opposed to innovation or digital transformation, they insist that technological advancements must respect the sector's regulations to ensure fair and balanced competition among all stakeholders.

Monir Chami, president of the Moroccan Organization for Tourist Transport, clarified that there is no legal text preventing tourism transport professionals from using smart applications, provided they adhere to their own service charter. He stated that tourism transport operators possess all necessary licenses and that the foreign company itself acknowledges the licensed nature of this sector. Chami added that no legal article penalizes working through these applications, as they fulfill passenger manifests and transport any traveler, whether resident or not.

Professionals are demanding that the app cease using unlicensed carriers and respect the legal framework governing tourism transport. Samir Farabi, Secretary-General of the Democratic Transport Syndicate, confirmed that tourism transport is not authorized to transport citizens via smart applications, deeming any such action a breach of their service charter. He explained that Uber initially worked with licensed tourist transport but, upon discovering they operated outside their charter, reverted to its standard practices. Farabi also pointed out that taxi drivers, who are licensed to transport people, should also be included if apps are deemed unlicensed, arguing that if apps are considered unlicensed, they should work with all sectors, not just one.