Tramway Kills Old Man in Casablanca

Rabat – A man in his seventies died yesterday, October 21, after a tram in Casablanca hit him as he crossed the tracks, according to a press release from RATP Dev. RATP Dev is the company managing tramways in Morocco’s economic capital.

The accident happened at 7:50am, on tramway line 1, between stations Hay Raja and Ibn Tachfine. The accident was inevitable, according to the same source.

“Despite the use of emergency brakes, the driver could not avoid the collision with the old man who was trying to cross the rails without using the crosswalk.”

Even though emergency services arrived at the scene of the accident quickly, the man succumbed to his injuries.

RATP Dev also presented their condolences to the victim’s family, and recalled the importance of respecting traffic laws and road signs.

Nine years after the launch of tramway systems in Morocco, many people are still unaware of the danger they put themselves in by not paying attention when they cross the rails or not letting trams have their priority.

In February 2019, a cyclist died after colliding with a tram in Casablanca.

In July of the same year, a man riding a bike died after getting stuck between two trams travelling  in opposite directions.

The National Committee for the Prevention of Road Accidents posted a video on their Facebook page as part of a campaign to sensitize people of how dangerous crossing in front of trams can be. The video shows a number of shocking accidents on tramways, both in Rabat and Casablanca.