HIBAPRESS – Abdellatif Baraka
Despite the approval of exceptional support for the transport sector to face the rise in fuel prices, citizens' complaints are escalating regarding "unjustified" increases in taxi fares, in a scene that reflects a clear gap between the goals of government support and the reality of field implementation.
In several cities, urban transport fares have increased from 5 to 7 dirhams, which users considered a jump that weighs heavily on them, especially for groups that rely on taxis on a daily and frequent basis. Many believe that these increases are not consistent with the logic of support aimed primarily at alleviating the burden, not doubling it.
In contrast, professionals justify these increases by the increase in operating costs, from fuel, maintenance, and spare parts, stressing that a significant part of the support does not reach the drivers directly, but remains linked to the license owners, which puts them under constant financial pressure.
However, the continuation of these increases, even after the announcement of the disbursement of support, raises serious questions about the effectiveness of monitoring mechanisms and the extent to which professionals adhere to the official fares. The debate intensifies in intercity transport, where exceptional increases have been recorded on some routes, which continued even after their temporal justifications ended, without firm intervention to restore things to their place.
This situation reveals structural imbalances within the transport sector, most notably weak monitoring, disparities in supply between cities, and the absence of clear mechanisms for price control. This makes the citizen the weakest link, in light of the rising cost of living and the decline in purchasing power.
In light of this reality, calls are increasing to tighten control, link support to respect for the legal fare, in order to ensure a balance between the continuity of the sector and the protection of the consumer, and to put an end to the state of "uncontrolledness" that has begun to plague citizens' daily commutes.
