Taxis in Morocco: Towards the End of the "Grima

The confrontation is daily on the streets of Casablanca, Rabat or Tangier. On one side, the historical system of the "grima", a legacy of 1963 based on the granting of permits and the rental of licenses, often synonymous with rent and precariousness for drivers. On the other, the emergence of digital platforms that seduce a connected urban population, eager for transparency and efficiency. This duel perfectly illustrates the paradox of "uberization" à la marocaine: a revolution in usage that runs up against a legislative wall.

According to the policy brief, this digital transformation is evolving in a dangerous "gray area". The authorities are navigating blindly, oscillating between tacit tolerance - as these platforms absorb part of youth unemployment - and crackdowns to reassure traditional taxi drivers. This legal uncertainty is slowing down investment and keeping thousands of workers in the informal sector, without social protection, even though the model responds to a structural demand from consumers.

To break the deadlock, the expert calls for going beyond simple sectoral crisis management. Morocco can no longer be content to regulate on a case-by-case basis. It is imperative to launch an information mission, ideally led by the CESE, to map these new professions and assess their fiscal and social impact. The objective is to build a multi-sectoral regulatory framework that harmonizes the rules of the game, protects workers and guarantees fair competition, without stifling innovation.

The challenge goes beyond the simple taxi war. As the 2030 World Cup approaches, the Kingdom must urgently modernize its services to offer an experience to international standards. Uberization must no longer be suffered as a destabilizing "imported mirage", but framed to become a lever of inclusive growth, capable of giving rise to national digital champions rather than relying exclusively on foreign giants.