Rabat – Morocco’s Ministry of Transport and Logistics has announced a new package of reforms aimed at reorganizing the motorcycle sector.
This new reform seeks to reduce the alarming number of road fatalities involving two-wheelers.
Speaking during a parliamentary Q&A session at the House of Councillors, Transport Minister Abdessamad Kayouh said the measures are designed to curb accidents, noting that motorcycles account for nearly 60% of traffic-related deaths nationwide.
A key reform concerns the cost of obtaining a motorcycle license. The fee will be reduced to between MAD 200 ($20) and MAD 300 ($30), instead of the current average of around MAD 3,000 ($300), to allow young people to obtain legal permits without prohibitive financial barriers.
The government also plans to require vendors to include a protective helmet with every new motorcycle sale to limit serious injuries.
The overhaul extends to training procedures as well. Authorities intend to eliminate the three-month waiting period and introduce a simplified system based on five sessions combining theory and practice.
Measures delayed after controversy
The ministry had postponed the application of a unified procedure controlling the conformity of mopeds using speedometers, following a decision announced in late August.
The National Road Safety Agency (NARSA) had previously circulated a note to the General Directorate of National Security outlining the new control mechanism, approved by the permanent road safety committee.
According to Kayouh, the measures sought to address the sharp rise in deaths among motorcyclists: 1,738 deaths were recorded in 2024, representing more than 43% of all road deaths. Many of these cases were linked to excessive speed and illegal modifications to the technical specifications of mopeds.
The ministry said its summer action program contributed to a significant drop in deaths in July, down by 25% outside urban areas and 5.2% at the national level compared to the previous year. However, urban areas saw an increase of nearly 49%, largely due to accidents involving mopeds.
Following discussions with Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch, authorities decided to revise the content of the earlier note and grant users additional time to bring their vehicles into compliance.
Motorcycles must respect the legal engine capacity limit of 50cc and the maximum speed of 50 km/h. The duration of the new deadline will be set after further consultations with stakeholders and a meeting of the permanent road safety commission.
The large-scale control campaign launched in early August had sparked backlash across the country, with hundreds of two-wheelers seized and sanctions described by many as excessive.
Calls for boycotts and even demonstrations began circulating online as criticism mounted against what was widely perceived as a punitive approach lacking social considerations.
The ministry maintains that the new reforms aim to restore order in the motorcycle sector while reducing the heavy human toll of traffic accidents.
