HIBAPRESS – Mohammed Zariouh
The owners of public passenger transport buses in Nador sent two official letters to the head of the Municipal Council and the governor of the province, in which they expressed their strong rejection of the way the decision to open the new bus station was made.
They considered that the decision was made unilaterally and without consulting the main stakeholders in the sector, which represents a violation of the principle stipulated in the Moroccan constitution regarding the participatory approach. The bus owners pointed out in their letter to the head of the Nador municipality that the decision to open the station was "surprising and not well-studied" and that it was not consulted with professionals in the transport sector, stressing that the project, in its current form, contains many legal and organizational imbalances that may negatively affect the quality of services provided to passengers and the movement of transport in the city and the region in general. They highlighted that among the most prominent observations that were recorded during their visit to the new bus station was the absence of basic facilities that must be available in any bus station, such as cafes, shops, and service facilities. They also expressed their surprise at the lack of space allocated to large taxis, which are an essential part of transporting passengers to and from the station. They also stressed that the absence of meters in small taxis may create chaos in determining the prices of transport to the station, which may lead to major problems in the future. They also criticized the allocation of a special window and space only for the transport company "Stiam", which they considered illegal discrimination and contrary to the principle of free competition stipulated in the law on freedom of prices and competition. On the other hand, the bus owners demanded a review of the electronic application that the local development company "Nador Passengers" relies on to manage the station, considering it a weak application technically and not keeping pace with technological development in the field of public transport. They also called for maintaining the telephone reservation system and sales agencies within the city until the appropriate conditions are prepared inside the new station. In conclusion of their letter, the bus owners confirmed that they are fully prepared to contribute to the success of the project, provided that a real participatory approach is followed that takes into account the opinions of professionals and the interests of citizens, calling on the governor of the province to intervene urgently to address what they described as the legal and organizational imbalances that threaten the success of the new station.
