Transport
From The Report: Morocco 2014
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The Moroccan transport sector has made some great strides in recent years, and projects across the spectrum are ongoing and set for delivery over the next year and a half, in line with the government’s medium-term infrastructure development plans. While major events such as the 2008-09 financial crisis, the ensuing eurozone debt crisis and recent regional political instability have impacted passenger and cargo flows to and from the kingdom, investment plans in general have kept pace. As such, the first phase of SAAN, a multi-phased plan to upgrade and extend Morocco’s road network, was completed in 2012 and involved the construction of 1000 km of roads. Over the next five years substantial public funding is set to go towards revamping and expanding road, rail, maritime and air traffic infrastructure. This will consolidate Morocco’s position as a regional transit hub for both cargo and passenger traffic, while also responding to growing demand from the domestic market, where passengers are increasing in number, as well as demanding better service quality. This chapter contains interviews with Thierry de Margerie, Vice-President Africa, Alstom, and Faysal El Hajjami, President & Managing Director for Maghreb Region, DHL Express.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Road map: Planning for longer, better routes and connections
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The Moroccan transport sector has made some great strides in recent years, as attested by investments in the maritime and road segment. While major events such as the 2008-09 financial crisis, the ensuing Eurozone debt crisis and recent regional political instability have impacted passenger and cargo flows to and from the kingdom, investment plans in general have kept pace. As such, projects across the spectrum of the transport sector are ongoing and set for delivery over the next year and a half, in line with the government’s medium-term infrastructure development plans. ROADS: Morocco’s road development plans are laid out under an…

Interview

OBG talks to Thierry de Margerie, Vice-President Africa, Alstom
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Interview:Thierry de Margerie How will high-speed rail benefit Morocco? THIERRY DE MARGERIE: The high-speed rail line (ligne à grande vitesse, LGV) project, which we are participating in via the delivery of rolling stock, was chosen by the National Office for Railways following a broad-based long-term rail development plan that is intended to optimise the potential socioeconomic benefits of rail travel. The connection of the primary economic cities of Tangiers and Casablanca will not only…

Interview

OBG talks to Faysal El Hajjami, President & Managing Director for Maghreb Region, DHL Express
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Interview:Faysal El Hajjami What is being done to address bottlenecks in the Customs clearance process? FAYSAL EL HAJJAMI: The Customs clearance process has improved over the last three years. The open dialogue between Customs authorities and the private sector has resulted in a significant increase in the speed and volume of clearance operations. The double-digit growth experienced by the express industry in recent years has served to drive these improvements. In this respect, it is fair…

Analysis

Making room for more: A national plan to upgrade ports will allow for greater cargo capacity
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Maritime traffic is of great importance for Morocco’s economy, not only because it represents 98% of all foreign trade, but also because it affords the kingdom a strategic opportunity to tap into global trade flows, in particular those of Europe and the Mediterranean. While most of the country’s transport segments are in government hands, management of its ports has been partly privatised. Introduction of Law 15-02 in 2006 facilitated a progressive transition of maritime services to the private sector, in particular the management of container terminals. The improvements in efficiency and transparency standards have led to a reduction…

Analysis

Linking up: New rail projects should help to integrate different regions
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The biggest story in Morocco’s rail segment is without a doubt the construction of a high-speed link between Tangiers and Rabat, passing by Kenitra and extending to Casablanca on a regular-speed double line. The 200-km-long connection will become the fastest rail link on the continent, topping South Africa’s Gautrain, and reduce rail transport times in Morocco’s north-west significantly; the Tangiers-Casablanca leg will take two hours and 10 minutes, down from nearly five hours at present, while the Tangiers-Rabat link will be more than halved to one hour and 30 minutes, reaching an average speed of 320 km per hour. The connection is…

Analysis

Moving the masses: Improving urban transport with trams and trains
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Decades of traffic congestion in Casablanca and Rabat, Morocco’s two biggest cities, have prompted a need to introduce various new forms of mass transport. Over the past three years, both cities have witnessed the opening of new tramway systems aimed at taking cars off the roads and reducing residents’ commuting times. Although the passenger numbers in both cases have exceeded expectations – Rabat’s tramway transports a daily number of 90,000 passengers, while Casablanca’s manages 100,000 – the impact on traffic thus far has been minimal. As such, a next phase of urban transportation is under way. In Rabat, studies are ongoing…

Analysis

Direct links: Scaling up road construction in key areas
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With three major highway construction projects planned for 2014-15, Morocco is pushing to expand its already extensive road network. At an estimated cost of around Dh13bn (€1.1bn), the new roads are expected to help to support growth in several sectors, including construction, logistics, mining and industry. Morocco is planning a dramatic increase in transport capacity across the rail, air and maritime segments, but roads have been a particular focus. The national highway authority, Autoroutes du Maroc (ADM), has picked up the pace of road construction in the past 10 years, in an effort to meet the government’s goal of 1800 km of highways…