29 March 2016

A raft of public transport projects will spearhead Morocco's efforts to improve connectivity and reduce congestion, while supporting a broader bid to accommodate the country's rapid urbanisation.

As more than 60% of Moroccans now live in cities, the government is sharpening its focus on improving urban infrastructure - with Casablanca, the country's largest city and its commercial centre, a major beneficiary of the renewed attention.

The push to modernise the city's transport systems will be rolled out under the 2015-20 Casablanca Strategic Development Plan and supports a broader push to improve urban living standards by boosting socioeconomic inclusion, connectivity and mobility in terms of both time and cost. Projects include a new tramline, road upgrades, bypasses and a tunnel.

In addition to improving the daily life of residents of Casablanca, the strategy aims to encourage economic development and investment by boosting the city's competitiveness as a growing international financial hub.

Almost Dh27bn (€2.49bn) of the five-year plan's total budget of Dh33.6bn (€3.1bn) has been set aside for projects aimed at improving mobility.

Transit modernisation

Casablanca's second tramline project, T2, lies at the heart of the city's transport plans, with the line set to cover a distance of 22.5 km and host 33 new stations, according to public transport operator Casa Transport, which operates the service. According to media reports, work is set to begin on the new line in May, with completion targeted for the end of 2018.

Casablanca's existing tram line, meanwhile, which currently runs between 48 stations across 31 km, connecting Sidi Moumen in the east with Ain Diab and Facultés in the west, will be extended by 2 km, bringing the entire network to 110 km by 2022.

At least 160 new tramcars will service the improved tram network, after Casa Transport launched a Dh3bn (€275.5m) rolling stock tender in June.

Construction on the two lines, which is expected to cost Dh4.2bn (€389m), will be funded in large part by state-guaranteed loans, which will provide Dh1.7bn (€156.5m) of financing; the commune of Casablanca and the regional government of Casablanca-Settat will offer the remainder.

Another Dh1.7bn (€156.5m) worth of contributions from the Support Fund for Transport Reform are designed to subsidise Casa Transport's structural operating deficit, which totalled Dh80m (€7.4m) in 2015. This should allow the city to preserve affordable passenger travel on the lines, while still allowing the line operator to break even operationally. Tramway tariffs are currently fixed at Dh7 (€0.64).

Additional revenues will be pursued via advertising, local media reported, with Casa Transports launching a tender for an advertising agency to service the lines in September.

Overhaul for roads

Another Dh3bn (€276m) has been earmarked for upgrading at least 32 km of Casablanca's roads, with a focus on reducing travel times, improving pedestrian access, and increasing security through better lighting and surveillance.

The city plans to install an urban surveillance system, including 760 CCTV cameras, which will regulate traffic and record incidents. The system is being developed at a cost of around Dh460m (€42.3m), according to media reports.

In addition, the plans include two bypass roads and a tunnel aimed at reducing traffic jams. Alongside the new tunnel near Hassan II Mosque, a bypass in Sidi Maarouf will reduce congestion to both the airport and Marrakech, while another bypass being built in the south-east of the city will ease access to El Jadida highway and to the airport from Casablanca Finance City, a new financial district in the centre of the city.

Addressing congestion

Morocco's cities have been feeling the strain of higher-density traffic in recent years. According to Autoroutes du Maroc, the agency responsible for the country's highways, traffic increased by 2.4% year-on-year nationwide in the first quarter of 2015.

Meryem Belqziz, director-general of car-hire service Uber Morocco, which recently launched operations in Casablanca, said poor transport links in the country's main hubs pose significant challenges for commuters.

"Some areas, such as Ain Sebaa, Casa Nearshore and Nouaceur, do not have good access to public transport even though a large number of people travel there daily to work," she told OBG.

The problem has been particularly pronounced in Casablanca, with the total number of vehicles in the city increasing from 500,000 in 2004 to more than 1.3m today, Nabil Belabed, director-general of Casa Développement, a company tasked with improving parking around the city, told OBG.

"Despite growing traffic, infrastructure capacity has yet to be changed," he said. "While the strategic development plan will bring improvements, this won't be enough. We also need to work on changing people's practices when it comes to transport."

With local media reporting that around 80% of drivers travel alone, calls to educate Moroccans on the benefits of practices such as car-pooling are growing.

© Oxford Business Group 2016