HIBAPRESS – Rabat
Tariq Drioua, the National Secretary General of Self-Employed Contractors at the Democratic Transport Union, has warned of the dangers faced by transport application drivers after an incident where a driver using the "Indrive" application was violently assaulted and his car set on fire in the Ain Diab area of Casablanca, in the early hours of the morning.
In an article, Drioua confirmed that the incident reflects the absence of real legal and social protection for application drivers, noting that the transport sector via applications is experiencing a legal vacuum that leaves young drivers vulnerable, without professional insurance, legal protection, or a rapid intervention platform in the event of accidents or assaults. The trade union official pointed out that the state has not kept pace with the development of the sector, as it has not yet issued laws that define the relationship between the driver and the application or between the application and the customer, which puts drivers in a gray area where they bear the risks alone. Drioua drew attention to the role of companies, including Indrive, in holding drivers fully responsible as "independent," even though the applications benefit financially from the trips, stressing that companies benefit from their profits but do not insure, protect, or intervene except to absolve themselves legally. The National Secretary General of the Democratic Transport Union stressed that the legal vacuum opens the door to chaos and puts drivers in a vulnerable position, especially when transporting unknown passengers late at night, stressing that protecting drivers, insuring their vehicles, holding companies accountable, and having rapid intervention platforms have become necessary and urgent. Drioua considered that the incident of the assault and burning of the driver's car is not just an individual crime, but an alarm bell for comprehensive reform that protects the thousands of young people who rely on transport applications as a primary source of livelihood. The trade unionist emphasized the need to launch a national debate involving the state, trade unions, and companies to define a clear legal framework that protects drivers and guarantees their safety and their professional and social future.
