Casablanca Merchants Protest Taxi Drivers’ Chaotic Occupation of Downtown Streets

After unsuccessfully fighting the occupation of the alleys by street vendors, the merchants have to face the ambient chaos imposed by the white taxi drivers, who, in the absence of a regulatory station, have decided to make their own law. According to a resident of Rue Taher Sebti, "the taxi drivers not only cause traffic disruption, but also a constant hubbub during the day and part of the night," reports Le360.

Indeed, the taxi drivers previously occupied the November 16 square in front of the Goethe Institute. But the closure of stores during confinement has pushed them to gradually invade the neighboring commercial alleys. At the reopening, the merchants had no choice but to note the damage. "We cannot park or receive our customers in this unhealthy environment," testifies the owner of several stores in this area. For him, street vendors, the homeless, traffic, security issues, the anarchic parking of white taxis, are "as many nuisances that have already impacted the activity in this commercial street, which knew its heyday in the 70s and 80s".

In the absence of a reaction from the local authorities, the merchants decided to close the shops on Thursday, July 9, in order to draw attention to their untenable situation. They are ready to go further, if solutions are not found within a reasonable time, to allow them to freely carry out their activity, specifies the same source.