HIBAPRESS – Fikri Ouldali
The city of Al Hoceima, which has long been described as the "Lighthouse of the Mediterranean", is experiencing a worrying situation that reflects a clear decline in the quality of infrastructure, especially in its streets, which have become a source of daily suffering for residents and road users in a number of its neighborhoods.
The widespread potholes, the deterioration of sidewalks, and the absence of regular maintenance are all manifestations that are detrimental to the city's image and raise more than one question mark about the causes of this decline, at a time when Al Hoceima is supposed to maintain its attractiveness as a tourist and development destination in the north of the Kingdom.
A number of citizens agree that the current situation is no longer bearable, as the deplorable condition of some roads causes repeated damage to cars, in addition to real risks that threaten the safety of pedestrians, especially children and the elderly.
In addition, these imbalances directly affect economic and tourism activity, and give a negative impression to visitors.
In the midst of this reality, fingers are pointed at the municipal council as the body responsible for managing local affairs, as citizens demand the need for urgent action to repair what can be repaired, instead of waiting until the upcoming electoral deadlines, which often witness seasonal movements that do not live up to the expectations of the population.
Observers believe that the management of infrastructure should not be subject to circumstantial or narrow political calculations, but should be based on a clear strategic vision that ensures the continuity of maintenance and the improvement of the quality of services on a permanent basis.
What Al Hoceima is experiencing today requires the various actors, from local authorities and elected officials, to take full responsibility, and to work in a participatory and urgent manner to restore the streets of the city, preserve the dignity of the citizen, and maintain the image of a city that deserves to be truly a "lighthouse" and not a title of neglect.
In the meantime, the question remains urgent: Will the responsible authorities move at the right time, or will the repair of Al Hoceima's streets remain dependent on upcoming electoral dates?
