Rabat Revives Pedestrian Fines to Boost Road Safety, Sparks Debate

Several residents of the Moroccan capital have recently been fined by the police for not respecting the pedestrian crossing, which constitutes a violation of the Highway Code. They were fined 25 dirhams for crossing the street without using the pedestrian crossing.

The measure aims to promote respect for the Highway Code and reduce accidents involving pedestrians.
However, the return of these sanctions against pedestrians is provoking strong reactions and brings back to the fore the importance for these road users to respect the regulations in force. They had been implemented for the first time in 2017, under the Benkirane government, it is recalled.

According to Article 187 of the Highway Code, any violation of the Highway Code "is punishable by a fine of 20 to 50 dirhams", in accordance with the provisions of Article 94 of the same text which requires any pedestrian to respect the rules of circulation to avoid accidents. An awareness campaign is necessary to draw the attention of pedestrians to this road safety issue.