Morocco’s Toll Road Revolution: Mass Layoffs as ’Jawaz’ System Sparks User Outrage

The employees concerned have already received their dismissal letters, which will take effect at the end of August, according to Al3omk, noting that these employees were responsible for welcoming customers at toll stations or sales points and recharging their "Jawaz" cards for a fee. For this service, they received a daily wage of 100 dirhams.

These employees, under a daily and temporary regime, were not affiliated with the social security system and therefore cannot claim severance pay. "They suddenly informed us that our mission was over, as if we had not spent months serving customers under the sun and in difficult conditions, for a modest salary," lamented one of them.

Implemented several years ago by ADM to streamline traffic at toll booths, the "Jawaz" service is an electronic payment system that allows road users to prepay their toll fees. The "Jawaz" card was sold for 50 dirhams with an initial balance of 40 dirhams. But ADM recently decided to increase this price to 80 dirhams without an initial balance, which has angered users.

The company has been trying for several years to impose the "Jawaz" service on users, reducing the number of employees at toll booths and increasing the number of direct payment lanes. According to a report from the temporary parliamentary inquiry mission on ADM, the number of permanent employees over the past ten years has decreased from 550 to 440.