Casablanca Struggles to Enforce Ban on Animal-Drawn Carts

Casablanca has apparently lost its war against animal-drawn carts circulating in urban areas. The threats of severe sanctions ranging from the issuance of violation reports to referrals to justice brandished by Nabila Rmili, president of the Casablanca municipal council, prove ineffective. "We will no longer tolerate the presence of animal-drawn carts on the streets of Casablanca, a city that must be ready to become a smart city," she had hammered in a social media post in 2022.

On October 17, 2023, the Casablanca municipal council approved a decree banning the use of animals such as mules, donkeys and horses for the transport of goods and people, or as a means of street vending of food or other products. On the instructions of the Mayor of Casablanca, Nabila Rmili, "no animal-drawn carts" signs had been installed in several places and streets in the Ain Sebaâ-Hay Mohammadi, Moulay Rachid, Sidi Bernoussi-Sidi Moumen, Ain Chock, Casablanca-Anfa, Ben Msik, Hay Hassani, and Moulay Rachid districts.

Months later, the objectives have not been achieved. As Casablanca prepares to host major global events, animal-drawn carts "continue to dominate the city’s streets, in contradiction with the modern image that the local authorities wish to project, while also constituting a danger to road safety," it is observed. It is therefore urgent that the municipal council takes the bull by the horns, so that the repeated promises to transform Casablanca into a clean and smart city are realized.