Truck Drivers Face Rising Violence on Moroccan Highways, Demand Action

A few days ago, the Moroccan Association of Transcontinental Road Transport (AMTRI) had already sounded the alarm. In a letter addressed to the management of the ADM, it denounced "attacks of unheard-of violence" perpetrated by criminal gangs and illegal migrants. Two drivers were even seriously injured with a knife in the space of a week.

"These are not isolated cases, it has become our daily life," laments Amer Azghino, president of the Amtri Maroc association. "The ADM has a duty to ensure the safety of highway users, and it is not doing so!"

Truck drivers are forced to stop regularly to comply with legal rest periods. But the rest areas, often poorly lit and without surveillance, have become easy targets for the attackers. "We are forced to stop, but we are not protected," fumes an anonymous driver.

In addition to physical violence, attempts by illegal migrants to break into trucks are also a scourge. To get into the trucks, they do not hesitate to force the customs seals, which exposes the carriers to heavy fines. "Each such incident can cost us up to 15,000 dirhams," says Amer Azghino.

Caught between a rock and a hard place, the truck drivers feel abandoned. "If nothing changes, we will end up refusing to take this road," warns another driver.