Rabat: Halt for the unprecedented project of amphibious buses on the Bouregreg

The project had planned a substantial financial envelope of around 23 million dirhams for the acquisition and maintenance of two buses capable of running on both asphalt and water. However, the supervising body was forced to backtrack. The selection procedure simply failed after the elimination of the sole bidding company. The latter was rejected during the examination of the administrative and technical files, leading to the outright cancellation of the contract, reports Rue20.

Yet, the idea was likely to appeal to visitors and the diaspora in search of novelty. The plan was to offer a unique experience: land circuits extending into navigation routes on the Bouregreg River. These hybrid vehicles would have allowed the discovery of the historical jewels of the region, such as the Hassan Tower or the Kasbah of the Oudayas, from a completely different angle. By connecting the two banks, these new vehicles were meant to symbolize the modernity of the development of the river banks.

According to the details of the file, diesel-powered buses were to be supplied by an American manufacturer. This technological choice aimed to guarantee the reliability of this "first in Africa", an initiative intended to boost the attractiveness of the capital of the Kingdom. For now, the amphibious buses remain docked, and the city of Rabat will have to revise its plans in the hope of one day seeing these shuttles navigate between its most emblematic sites.