DR ‹ › This year, the Ministry of the Interior launched a comprehensive strategic study to identify and assess dysfunctions within the taxi transport sector and to propose solutions aimed at better structuring and regulating the industry, Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit said on Monday in Rabat. Responding to an oral question in the House of Representatives, Laftit explained that once the diagnostic phase is completed and international best practices reviewed, experts are now working on defining reform scenarios and recommendations that could be adopted to overhaul Morocco's taxi system. He added that once the study is finalized, all stakeholders in the taxi transport sector will be informed of its conclusions before any measures are implemented. According to the minister, Morocco's taxi fleet currently numbers around 77,200 vehicles, including 44,650 first-category (large) taxis and 32,550 second-category (small) taxis, employing nearly 180,000 drivers. Laftit also noted that, in recent years, provincial authorities responsible for regulating the sector have worked in coordination with the central services of the Ministry of the Interior to roll out a series of measures under an integrated roadmap. In his answer, Laftit also addressed the growing dominance of buses and ride-hailing platforms. «If taxis fail to find their place between these two poles, they will no longer have any place to operate», stressing that the ultimate objective is to «restore citizens' trust in urban transport» while protecting the interests of professionals. This roadmap focuses on strengthening regulatory and organizational mechanisms by updating decisions governing taxi authorizations, vehicle specifications, and operating conditions. It also seeks to professionalize the sector by restricting authorizations to professional drivers and refusing approval for the delegation of new or renewed operating contracts to non-professional operators. In parallel, the ministry has pursued the modernization of the taxi fleet through a vehicle renewal support program, which has allowed for the renewal of 80% of the fleet and reduced the average age of taxis from 25 years to just 8 years.
