Casablanca Motorists Protest Surge in Illegal Parking Attendants

Fake car guards, without legal authorization to operate, are proliferating in the city of Casablanca and swindling motorists. The latter, tired of the abusive behavior of these illegal guards, mobilized to denounce their illegal practices, reports La Vie Éco. Outraged, they launched a campaign on social networks with a series of hashtags (#no to yellow vests, #roll up your sleeves).

To read: Casablanca Residents Outraged by Soaring Parking Fees, Unauthorized Operators

Several victims of these unscrupulous fake guards who charge exorbitant prices depending on the parking area and demand payment in advance for parking, even for a very short duration, have denounced the aggressive behavior of the latter. "Parking prices are exorbitant and the fake guards demand payment in advance for parking, even for a very short duration, in addition to having to pay at each stop," denounces Amine, a motorist, specifying that it is a "pure and simple scam" that can lead to clashes.

To read: Marrakech Parking Attendants Protest New City-Wide Price Regulations

The delegate minister to the Minister of the Interior, Noureddine Boutayeb, did not hesitate to react to the campaigns against the abuses of these fake guards in order to put an end to this situation of anarchy and sanction the offenders. In response to an oral question on "the absence of a regulatory framework governing the profession of car guarding" last May, he indicated that the organization and management of public parking lots fall under the responsibility of municipal councils. Several municipalities have opted for the delegated management of this service by private companies, he stressed.

To read: Marrakech Cracks Down on Parking Scams with New Price Regulations

The provincial authorities are studying the issue of organizing car parks, in collaboration with the local authorities, the National Security and the Royal Gendarmerie, in order to guarantee more security and generally improve traffic flow. In this sense, the Casablanca authorities have set up a digital platform to register complaints against these unscrupulous car guards.