Morocco Launches the First Phase of the New Urban Transport Model with 1,000 Buses Set to Enter Service Soon
Morocco has initiated the implementation of a new public urban transport model with buses, a significant step towards modernizing the transportation system in Moroccan cities and improving the quality of services provided to citizens.
Younes Al-Qasimi, the director of urban transport at the Ministry of Interior, announced the receipt of around 1,000 new buses by the end of October and early November 2025, as part of the first phase of the national public urban transport program for the period 2025-2029.
Al-Qasimi explained in an interview with Maghreb Arab Press that this number is part of a total of 1,487 buses planned for the first phase, which includes the cities of Tangier, Tetouan, Fes, Rabat, Benslimane, Marrakech, and Agadir, in addition to surrounding urban areas such as Fnideq, Asilah, Tamanarasset, Ben Guerir, and Inzkan-Ait Meloul, covering a total of 29 cities and urban communities.
This phase will also introduce smart ticketing systems and systems to assist with operations and inform passengers, along with the establishment of advanced maintenance centers. The responsible official emphasized that the operation of these buses will be managed by professional operators under a new management model focused on service quality, innovation, and performance.
Al-Qasimi added that the second phase of the program would involve 18 delegated authorities covering 24 cities and urban areas, including Dakhla, Guelmim, Oujda, Essaouira, Tinghir, Taounate, and Sidi Bennour. The third phase will target 12 delegated authorities that include 31 cities such as Casablanca, Meknes, Khouribga, Laayoune, Beni Mellal, Nador, Al Aroui, El Jadida, and Azemmour, with the acquisition of an additional 1,482 buses.
He confirmed that this ambitious project, which has a total cost of approximately 11 billion dirhams, aims to modernize urban transport and establish a new governance framework for sustainable mobility, in line with the high royal directives contained in the message that King Mohammed VI sent to the second national forum on advanced regionalization held in Tangier in December 2024.
In that message, His Majesty emphasized that: “Developing a comprehensive and sustainable transportation system has become a fundamental requirement for achieving integrated territorial development and reducing spatial and social disparities.”
Al-Qasimi concluded his statement by highlighting that the new urban bus transport program, which includes the acquisition of approximately 3,800 buses equipped with smart systems, will cover 84 cities and urban communities, making it a strategic project for enhancing the quality of urban life in Morocco.
