Illegal Auto Repair Shops Spark Controversy in Agadir, Morocco

The situation has been going on since 2012 and is creating strong tensions between the residents and the owners of these illegal garages. It has even been the subject of discussions at the Agadir municipal council since 2019. Omar Baghrar, president of the Agadir Artisans Federation, explains that "the problem goes beyond a quarrel between residents and mechanics." He explained that when the "industrial district" was transformed into a "residential area", the authorities forced many shops to close their doors. "It is not done to close businesses without providing an alternative," he laments. For him, what the residents are denouncing is "due to an accumulation of resolutions from previous municipal councils," reports France24.

Since 1980, Redouane Moufrid has lived in Lkhiam, the largest of these neighborhoods invaded by illegal garages. He is fighting with 32 associations so that the authorities look into the issue, especially the aspect related to air and noise pollution. But they have still not prevailed. The collective even called on an expert who, on a voluntary basis, assessed the damage that the noise emanating from these garages every day can cause. He found that the noise nuisance sometimes exceeds 85 decibels, well beyond the tolerated limit of 60 decibels.

In addition to the noise nuisance, the residents deplore the dirt on the road, caused by "engine oil and diesel fuel." They also denounce "the paints with which these garages work. They should only be used in a secure and closed factory, away from homes, because it is "harmful to the human body." Redouane Moufrid sent the France24 editorial team a collective complaint document, as well as medical examinations of some residents. Among the detected ailments are "severe coronary lesions," which would be "linked to the proliferation of illegal garages."

For their part, the owners of these garages acknowledge that the situation is disturbing, but say they are victims of the rejection of urban plans, or the slowness of the Greater Agadir development projects. They are asking "that a proper industrial zone be established." The current municipal council has decided to develop 30 hectares for SMEs and mechanics. The area is located in Tikiouine (southeast of Agadir) on a forest land. All eyes are on the Water and Forests Department, which must approve this project, the same source specifies.