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Rabat – Morocco’s National Union of Taxi Professionals has called on its members and taxi drivers in the country to join a protest in front of the Ministry of Interior’s administrations on March 21.
The union called on its members to give their “effective participation” in the national protest starting at 10AM on the planned day.
The drivers are set to protest the rising fuel prices in the country, according to converging reports.
Since the Ukraine war erupted last year, fuel prices have been on a steady rise, with many drivers demanding the ability to raise taxi fares in order to preserve margins.
While Morocco’s government promised subsidies to the transport workers to ease the burden, many drivers have complained that the subsidies are not enough, or that they cannot gain access to them.
Read also: Morocco Provides Aid To Cab Operators Instead of Drivers
In 2022, union activists said that 40% of workers did not receive their share of subsidies despite applying, suggesting subsidizing fuel prices instead, and capping them for transport professionals.
Another source of frustration for Moroccan taxi drivers over the past few years has been the rise of ridesharing apps such as Careem, which they claim need more government supervision so as to not take away from their customer base.
Some also complain that drivers for ridesharing apps do not carry the necessary licenses or qualifications.
While companies like Careem have been attempting to reach agreements with the taxi drivers for a few years, tensions between the two tend to bubble back up, with rideshare app users complaining about harassment or even violence in some extreme cases.
