Morocco receives 150M USD for Urban Transport

Morocco’s Urban Transport Program, which builds up the status of public transport as well as its infrastructure in Morocco, was provided an additional 150M USD from The World Bank Board of Executive Directors in contemplation of new priorities of mobility.

Its focal point will be acting towards the central structure for the purpose of improving the sector’s performance through treating local demand and investments as being most important. Jesko Hentschel, World Bank Maghreb Country Director, stated that the additional financing will help Moroccan authorities in reforming and developing enough affordable transport for the urban population. He added that putting money into a safe, affordable, and efficient public transport during COVID is substantial to advance economic and social inclusion, together with alleviating climate change.

Citizens’ access to economic opportunities and social services will progress by way of developing the transport corridors. Nabil Samir, Transport Special and Task Team Leader, says: “the program aims to install a new dynamic by mainstreaming standards of efficiency across urban transport institutions to increase the sector’s performance – this will include targeted investment. The anticipated results will be to strengthen national and local capacity to plan, implement, and monitor urban transport, and to improve its level of service”.

The program is put into practice by municipalities and the Ministry of Interior. Besides the endowment, the World Bank has organized technical assistance in order to ameliorate the sector’s governance and work on developing transport in main Moroccan cities. Since 40.000 daily users have benefitted from the investments, the aim is to reach 130.000 urban inhabitants per day before June 2024, the program’s closing date.