Seven years after leaving Morocco, Uber has decided to make a strong comeback.
Attracted by the prospect of profits from the African Cup of Nations and the World Cup, and banking on the government’s inability to react quickly and rumours of changes to legislation, Uber is once again trying to force the Kingdom’s hand.
Private hire vehicles in Casablanca and Marrakesh
Compared to 2017, Uber’s formula has apparently been modified. It will only use ‘authorised professionals’, i.e. private hire vehicles.
This is exactly the model that was proposed in 2015:
Uber works in partnership with tourist transport companies. This allows us to have access to approved vehicles and experienced drivers. The private transport service will have 4×4 crossover vehicles due to the specifications of these companies.
Uber is still not legal in Morocco
Limiting oneself to private hire vehicles changes absolutely nothing. As Uber said in 2018
Unfortunately, since our launch in Morocco nearly three years ago, we have not had clarity on the integration of applications such as Uber into the existing transport model. […]
The current regulatory uncertainty does not allow us to provide a safe and reliable experience that meets the requirements of our customers, both drivers and passengers. Therefore, until there is real reform and an environment conducive to new mobility solutions, we are forced to suspend our operations, starting this week.
‘No clarity’ is a nice way of saying ‘the government refused to change its regulatory framework’.
Furthermore, limiting oneself to private hire vehicles runs counter to the government’s desire to reserve these platforms for taxis.
This is because the legal framework governing private hire vehicles is very strict and does not correspond in any way to Uber’s practices.
I analysed this in detail in 2015 (see article), but in summary:
- private hire vehicles are not authorised to transport residents, except in very strict circumstances that are incompatible with immediate booking via a web application
- private hire vehicles are not allowed to make journeys in the city, except for tours ordered and organised by travel agencies
- the documents that the driver must have with them must have been issued before the journey, include the passenger’s national identity card number and be signed.
Lack of clarity or refusal to listen?
When Uber was banned by the Casablanca Wilaya, Uber responded with a vague statement: ‘Ah, but we don’t do anything, we’re just an intermediary platform’…
Very recently, in early October, the Ministry of Transport made its position very clear:
On Monday, the Ministry of Transport and Logistics stated that current legislation does not provide a clear legal framework for transport services via smart applications. And while the President of the Competition Council is in favour of legislative change, he recommends that it be done calmly and without haste.
Despite this, and despite the Casablanca Wilaya declaring it illegal, one month after this announcement, Uber decided to reopen its services in Morocco.
This can only be seen as an attempt to force the authorities’ hand so as not to miss out on the CAN (and later the World Cup) windfall.
Will the taxi protest tip the scales?
From the outset, coexistence between taxis and app drivers has been difficult. Many Careem and InDrive drivers are attacked by taxi drivers once they are spotted.
As soon as Uber’s return was announced, taxi unions mobilised, totally rejecting this return and expressing surprise at the lack of coordination.
A few days later, the death of a large taxi driver in an accident involving an unauthorised car reignited tensions, and taxi unions are now threatening coordinated action (i.e. strikes and demonstrations) if a firm action plan is not put in place.
With the African Cup of Nations kicking off on 21 December, a taxi strike would be catastrophic.
A highly political decision that has been a long time coming
Communications from various Moroccan authorities, the Ministry of Transport’s ‘it’s not me, it’s the Interior Ministry’ stance, the Competition Council’s desire for a ‘slow and cautious’ reform of legislation, the announcement by the Wilaya of Casablanca that nothing has changed, the wait for the approval of Uber’s acquisition of Careem, which has now been dragging on for six years… ..
All of this is characteristic of a very Moroccan way of operating, where two factions clash, the ‘pro-Uber’ and the ‘anti-Uber’, without the state (the Palace?) making a decision.
Uber thought it saw an opening, but by putting its foot in the door, as it had done before, it risks having it slammed in its face. In any case, not before the African Cup of Nations. Perhaps not even before the World Cup.
Uber's return as seen by the Moroccan press
- Taxi unions in Rabat accused authorities of inaction after a large taxi driver died days after being hit by an unlicensed ride app driver
- They blamed authorities for failing to stop unlicensed activity despite repeated calls for enforcement and said the situation now threatens public safety and professional livelihoods.
The associations warned of coordinated protests if action is not taken, including sector wide mobilization.
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