Marrakech Launches Electric Buses

From Thursday (28th of September) Marrakech is putting electric busses into service

This project was announced on the occasion of the COP22 summit, organised in November 2016 in Marrakech.

Morocco ordered 30 electric buses from the Chinese operator Yangtse and the Spanish company, Alsa, won the tender to operate the buses.

After their commissioning, these new buses will serve the first line, crossing Hassan II Boulevard, linking Bab Doukalla to the Al Massira district and its surroundings, as well as the second line connecting the M'Hamid districts and the city centre via the corridor reserved for at the boulevard "Guemassa".

Other boulevards and districts will be included later using the same mode of operation as the tram lines in Rabat and Casablanca, with the provision of easy access points for people with special needs.

In order to guarantee the supply of electricity to these buses, a solar power station was set up in partnership with the World Bank at the entrance to the city, adjacent to the urban perimeter in the constituency of Menara, and the beginning of the municipality of Saâda.

These 18-meter long tram-buses will have to transport more than 45,000 citizens every day to different parts of the ocher city.

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Green Bus Line for Rabat

A new environmentally-friendly bus service will be in operation around the city of Rabat by summer 2018, according to Maghreb Arab Press (MAP)

In a report carried by Morocco World News, Mohamed Sadiki, vice-president of the Al Assima group, who are in charge of the management of urban transport, has said that the modernisation of transport services in the kingdom’s capital will be done through the introduction of the new green line.

Al Assima launched an international call for tenders for the bus project in February, but Sadiki says, “the identity of the project bidder will not be unveiled until the summer of 2018.”

Al Assima aims for the bus line to alleviate city traffic congestion and is committed to renewing the fleet by rolling out as many as 600 vehicles.

The 1,084-kilometer-long transport network in Rabat-Sale-Skhirat-Temara is served by 58 lines and the number of passengers is estimated at 60 million people per year

It is hoped the easing of traffic congestion will also lower the accident rate. This week, thirty-six people were injured after two buses collided Wednesday night in Rabat.

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Building Collapse in Meknes and Another Bus Accident Near Essaouira

Forty families had to spend the very cold night outside their homes because of the collapse of the basement of a building in Meknes

There was a state of panic today in the city of Meknes, after a collapse  under an apartment building where the digging works were carried out in order to establish a business housing a series of markets.

At around 12.30 on Saturday shop workers were surprised at the collapse of the bottom of an existing building on an intersection of Avenue des FAR in central Meknes.

The collapse happened under residential accommodation and led to the partial collapse and cracking in an adjacent apartment building, without causing casualties, with the exception of a worker who was injured in the incident.

Security authorities and civil protection cordoned off the scene, and directed all the inhabitants of residential accommodation to spend the night outside their apartments, for fear of another collapse. Very few were allowed to collect baggage or clothing from their apartments.

Later reports say there were back injuries among pedestrians who were transported to hospital for treatment, while civil protection workers are checking the rubble to make sure there are no deaths among construction workers who were present. There were said to have been dozens of workers at the site.

The collapse occurred on a building undergoing renovation and was caused by a technical malfunction, according to some sources.

The sources also denied reports that circulated saying about 58 people were killed in the accident.

Another bus tragedy

An accident between a car and a minibus carrying tourists has left twelve injured near Essaouira, in the southwest of Morocco on Saturday.

Twelve people were injured in a collision between a minibus and a car near Essaouira. The victims included eight tourists.

The minibus, carrying 18 tourists from Belgium, France and Germany, collided with a car traveling in the opposite direction. The wounded were evacuated to Essaouira. Seven of them were then taken by helicopter to the University Hospital of Marrakech.

During the summer of 2012, Morocco had seen the worst bus accident in its history: 42 people died after the fall of their bus into a ravine between Ouarzazate and Marrakech.

This incident highlights the danger of Moroccan roads on which more than 4,000 people died in 2012.


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Catching the Blues in Fez

Good news for bus travellers around Fez. The roll-out of new blue buses has begun and already many of the older polluting buses have been retired.

There have been a number of civic improvements in the last few months with new rubbish bins throughout the Medina and the installation of security cameras in strategic areas.

The new blue buses have been greeted with enthusiasm, but as one woman told The View from Fez, "I saw this blue thing and thought I had missed my usual bus."

Did she like the new colour?

"It looks good, but the important thing is it comes on time."

There are still a lot of old buses on the roads and it is hoped they will soon be retired.

Old bus photo - Jamal Morelli 

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26 Die in Two Morocco Bus Crashes

According to official reports at least 26 people were killed and 40 others injured in two separate bus accidents in Morocco on Monday. Ten people died and 33 others were injured, five of them critically, when a passenger bus crashed near the northern city of Nador. The accident took place on Monday afternoon near Nador. The accident took place when the bus travelling between Rabat and Nador overturned because it was going too fast, according to a police source.

Essaouira Bus Accident

17 Dead in Essaouira Bus Accident

A tragic bus accident near Essaouira has left seventeen people dead including two tourists; one from the Netherlands and one from Germany. Earlier reports had put the death toll at sixteen. According to the latest information there are twelve people injured.

The accident occurred on Monday when the bus was travelling between Essaouira and Agadir. The accident occurred around 6 pm when the coach overturned on the lower side of the RN n1 at the urban commune of Tamanar (Essaouira province).

The wounded were evacuated to the provincial hospital in Essaouira Sidi Mohamed Benabdallah.

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14 Dead 35 Injured in Moroccan Bus Crash

A head-on collision between two buses killed 14 people and injured 35 in southern Morocco yesterday (Thursday).

The accident occurred in the morning just outside Tinghir, some 420 kilometers south of the capital Rabat, a local government source said, requesting anonymity.

The injured were taken to a hospital in the southern town of Ouarzazate, the source said, adding that the death toll could rise because seven of the injured were in critical condition.

“The cause of the accident seems to be fatigue [of the drivers] and excessive speed,” the official added.

Moroccan roads are among the most dangerous in the world. More than 4,000 people died in traffic accidents in the country in 2009, according to official statistics.

The timing of the accident was bad news for the Government who had just announced a drop in fatal crash numbers for the previous year. The death toll from road accidents in Morocco dropped by 6.53% in 2010 compared to 2009.

According to statistics of the Transport and Equipment Ministry, 3,778 people were killed in 65461 road accidents in 2010.

The number of seriously and slightly injured individuals decreased by 8.53% and 3.55% respectively.

Marrakech Airport Bus Introduced

The days of having to haggle with taxi drivers at Marrakech airport may be over.For tourists arriving in the country for the first time, the effort to get a taxi for the six kilometre journey into the city has always been a problem and one that often leaves an unpleasant first impression. Although there have been attempts to control taxi drivers, until now it has had little effect.

The new bus service, operated by Spanish company Alsa City, will run every thirty minutes from Menara Airport and we are told it will stop at several popular destinations along the route.

The bus has been designated "number nineteen" and a one-way ticket costs 20 dirhams (£1.55) or just 30 dirhams return (£2.30) as long as you return within a fortnight.

Road Fatalities Fall in Morocco

According to a report by Siham Ali for Magharebia in Rabat, there has been a big improvement in road deaths in Morocco. This is welcome news as over recent years the road toll has been far too high

Road deaths have dropped by almost one-fifth since the introduction of the Moroccan Highway Code three months ago, according to Infrastructure Ministry data.

The controversial legislation, passed in October 2010, imposed stiffer penalties on drivers who break the law and created a points system to maintain order on the roads.

"Previously, people weren't really concerned about fines, which were never more than 400 dirhams," Siham Ouardnai, a bank clerk, said. "Now the fines have almost doubled. On top of that, drivers are really scared of losing points."

"My behaviour's changed, and so has my husband's. He's become much more careful, but before, he loved speeding," she said.

The enforcement of the code has made the roads safer, encouraging people to behave more responsibly, Infrastructure Minister Karim Ghellab said at a February 14th press conference to mark the national road security day.

According to Ghellab, the number of accidents fell by 17.5%, serious injuries decreased by 14.92% and minor injuries dropped by 19.16%. Still, the minister stressed the need for on-going vigilance to ensure that road accident statistics continue to decrease.

Extra measures were put in place to implement the law, including vehicle speed checks with fixed radar detectors, professional driving licences and a new examination of driving school instructors.

You can read more here: Magharebia

Twenty-Six Dead in Moroccan Bus Accident

Acording to Moroccan civil defense officials at least 26 people died on Tuesday when a bus skidded into a river during a heavy rain storm.

The crash occurred near Bouznika, south of the capital of Rabat, the official news agency Maghreb Arab Presse reported. The bus was traveling between Mohammedia and Bouznika when it fell into the Cheguig River.

The casualties included three people who died of injuries after being pulled from the bus and one whose body was swept downstream and later recovered.

King Mohammed VI announced he would pay the funeral expenses of those who died in the crash and cover hospital expenses for the survivors.

Morocco has been hit unusually heavy rain. In Casablanca, more than 7 inches fell in 24 hours.

Bus Travel in Morocco - thought for the day !

(Click image to enlarge and see BIG empty space!)

Travelling by CTM Bus is the best bus travel option in Morocco - but the bus stations can be lonely places !

(Photo Sandy McCutcheon)

Agadir to get new bus fleet

Agadir is about to get a new bus fleet. It has been announced that the Spanish operator ALSA has chosen Scania to deliver 120 out of 147 buses for operation in the tourist city of Agadir in southern Morocco. The buses will be delivered during 2010.

Scania already enjoys a strong position as supplier of buses for public transport to ALSA in Morroco. In Marrakech, the company operates an all-Scania fleet of close to 200 buses.

”In cooperation with our partner bodybuilders we have developed a city bus concept that lives up to the operators’ high demands on uptime, operating economy and passenger comfort,” says Monssif Abied, MD of Scania Maroc S.A. ”The ALSA order for Agadir confirms their confidence in the quality of Scania products and services.”

In pace with the Moroccan government’s efforts to update and improve public transport in the cities, several large, international public transport operators are setting up operations in the country.

”This trend favours European bus manufacturers like Scania since the chassis are developed for urban traffic. Scania city buses handle better and provide quicker entry and exit than the converted intercity buses that are traditionally used in Moroccan cities,” says Monssif Abied.

The bodywork for the 120 Agadir buses will be supplied by Spanish bodybuilder Hispano (Hispano Maghreb) and Moroccan STMCJ.

Visiting Essaouira from Marrakech?

Useful information for those wanting to do a day trip to Essaouira.

Buses from Marrakesh to Essaouira are run by ONCF subsidiary Supra Tours, leaving Marrakech five times a day, from 8:30am until 9:00pm. Buses from Essaouira to Marrakech return at the same regular intervals, although not the same times.

The journey takes 2 hours 30 minutes.

The present cost of a one-way bus ticket from Marrakesh to Essaouira is 65 DHS, although discount bus tickets are available for those with youth discount cards, senior discount cards, family discount cards, and loyalty cards.

In general it pays to know that Supra Tours buses are air conditioned, and fast. Remember to book in advance at the office near the train station on Avenue Hassan II.

In our experience it is best to avoid most private companies as the buses are often not air-conditioned and on several occasions have broken down on trips we have tried to undertake.

The CTM bus company office has an office in Guelizis. This is the state bus company that has buses from Marrakech to Agadir, Casablanca, Fez, Goulimine, Ouarzazate, Rabat, Taroudannt, and Zagora.

CTM buses are direct, fast, and air conditioned.