Moroccan Beach Town’s New Parking Fees Spark Outrage Among Residents and Tourists

The new rates, ranging from 5 dirhams for less than an hour to 23 dirhams for 24 hours, with an additional one dirham per extra hour, have been strongly criticized. The monthly subscription, set at 400 dirhams during the day and 500 dirhams at night, has also angered the residents.

Visitors lament the lack of free parking in the city, forcing them to pay substantial sums to park their vehicles. Calls for the revision, or even the cancellation, of these rates have multiplied in recent days.

The president of the Harhoura commune, Mohamed Lakhrif, simply stated that this decision was part of a partnership with a development company, without providing further details.

This new pricing has exacerbated the anger of citizens, who consider it an additional burden added to the "extortions" practiced by the "yellow vests". Some had hoped that this measure would reduce the presence of these individuals by offering free or symbolic-priced parking, but the reality is quite different.

The president of the Moroccan Association for the Protection of Public Money, Mohamed Ghalloussi, has already expressed his concern about the opportunistic exploitation of parking lots, noting that many people use these public spaces for personal purposes, extorting citizens and sometimes resorting to violence.

Despite the controversy, some local observers consider this measure positive, believing that it will help put an end to the chaos and anarchy that previously reigned in the city’s parking lots.

It should be noted that the creation of a parking service falls within the competence of the communal councils, in accordance with Organic Law No. 14-113 on municipalities. The Minister of the Interior, Abdelouafi Laftit, has indicated that several municipalities have implemented modern mechanisms to manage parking services, notably through the creation of local development companies or delegated management.