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Rabat – Marrakech authorities stripped a taxi driver of his license on Thursday, following a viral incident where he was caught scamming a British tourist.
British youtuber Simon Wilson traveled to Marrakech to witness Moroccans’ celebrations during the national team’s 2022 World Cup performance, and was charged MAD 350 ($33) to go from the airport to the city’s Jemaa El Fna square.
Although he initially accepted the fare, Wilson expressed to his viewers afterwards that the price seemed steep, saying to the camera: “It was only like a 20 minute drive and what’s up? 35 euros?”
Additional footage shared on TikTok later also showed the driver refusing to give the tourist his change back after he handed him MAD 400.
Marrakech authorities said they investigated the driver in the footage after the video went viral, and after discerning his identity and investigating his file, they decided to bar him from the profession definitively.
Following the viral incident, Moroccans on social media condemned the practice, noting that it is somewhat common for workers in the tourist industry to try and take advantage of tourists.
“As a Moroccan I see this as a very unfortunate event,” one user wrote on TikTok. “Seeing tourists getting scammed here and there I always rush to help.”
“If this happens to you again, tell them to take you to the police station,” another user said. “They will remove his [license].”
Some have also called for authorities to apply stricter measures on drivers to avoid similar situations in the future, while others expressed a preference for ridesharing apps as they arguably avoid similar issues.
In Morocco, drivers are obligated to use their taxi meter to determine the fare and not overcharge, but insufficient oversight and a lack of vigilance from riders sometimes leads to drivers overcharging.
