Marrakech Taxi Chaos: Locals Stranded as Drivers Favor Foreign Tourists

According to witnesses, a taxi driver attempted to transport a group of foreigners, ignoring the passengers who had been waiting for a long time. "I don’t want to take for Chwiter," he told them. The attitude of taxi drivers who prefer foreign customers over Marrakechis is increasingly noticeable, confirm the witnesses, adding that this practice is repeated in similar situations.

This altercation occurs in a context of disorder and discontent among the passengers. They are angry at several drivers who have refused to transport travelers to Chwiter and Aït Ourir. The drivers’ wish is to fill their vehicles with passengers heading to their homes, even though it is only 9 o’clock in the evening. According to the passengers, the ongoing work on national road No. 9, connecting Marrakech to Chwiter and Aït Ourir, may justify the desire of some drivers to change destinations. However, they believe that this does not justify depriving them of their right to transportation.

On the ground, the Al3omk site was able to observe that the passengers had waited for more than an hour without being able to find a means of transport. Many of them had to go to the minibuses, which only leave when they are full to their maximum capacity, in the midst of a large influx and daily suffering. "The suffering we experience to find a means of transport has become a routine," said a citizen to the same online media. He calls for urgent solutions to ensure the movement of citizens in humane conditions.