Uber Morocco Defends Its Right to Operate in Casablanca

Rabat – Uber‘s push into Morocco is proving to be a bumpy ride.

Less than twenty-four hours after the Wilaya of Casablanca deemed as “illegal” the activity of the ride-sharing service in Morocco, the company replied by publishing a statement on Wednesday stressing that its information service acts as a liaison between customers and drivers.

“We respect the local law and our technology is open to any type of vehicle that has a transport license,” says Uber, a service that allows any driver to use their private vehicle to provide taxi services in Morocco’s largest city Casablanca.

“Several transport laws were written before the existence of smartphones and applications and we want to work with regulators to adapt the regulation to the new technologies,” Uber said, adding that the company does not own cars and the drivers have all the licensing and certification needed to provide transportation services.

“We are open to any constructive dialogue on this topic,” said Uber.

On Tuesday, the Wilaya of Casablanca said in a statement carried by Maghreb Arab Press agency (MAP) that Uber Morocco is not allowed to continue with their business, promising stern measures against drivers and those responsible in case of resistance.

This is not the first time Uber’s activity was deemed illegal by authorities. In South Korea, authorities said they will arrest drivers on the spot if the Uber service become fully operational. France and Spain also ordered a ban on the Uber taxi service following nationwide protests by taxi drivers.