Commuters Face Long Waits, Tensions at Temara-Rabat Taxi Stations

Long queues, verbal altercations, fights between large taxi drivers... The inhabitants of Temara find themselves forced to wait by the hundreds for a long duration, varying between 30 and 40 minutes at the various taxi stations in the city of Temara, dedicated to transport to the capital Rabat, reports Achkayen. A detrimental situation for many people who are faced with professional problems with their superiors due to their repeated delays at their workplace.

At the origin of this recurrent problem, a major disagreement that occurred in early January between the taxi drivers of the two neighboring cities. The Temara drivers were prohibited from picking up passengers at the "Al-Manal" station in Rabat to bring them back to Temara. The reaction of the drivers of the neighboring city did not wait. They took a similar measure, preventing their counterparts from the capital from transporting passengers to Rabat from Temara. Since then, each party has strictly applied the regulations regarding the obligation to return empty.

The regulations of the sector prohibit taxi drivers from transporting passengers from another city. But a customary practice in force for years between Rabat and Temara allowed this exception under the principle of "reciprocity". An agreement allowed the taxi drivers of Temara to pick up passengers in certain neighborhoods of the capital, in exchange for the right granted to the drivers of Rabat to transport travelers from the "Milano" station in Temara to Rabat. A compromise that received the approval of the authorities, because it ensured constant fluidity between the two cities.

Informed of the situation, the police services as well as the local and provincial authorities have not yet been able to find a solution.