Supratours Replaces ALSA as Marrakech Bus Operator, To Launch Service Sunday

Marrakech – Marrakech’s urban transport system will undergo a major operator change this Sunday as Supratours officially launches its services, ending ALSA’s 26-year management of the city’s bus network. The ONCF subsidiary begins operations with a redesigned network and reinforced fleet.

The Spanish company ALSA lost the bid to continue managing Marrakech’s urban and suburban transport services. Supratours emerged as the winning operator while ALSA was retained as a reserve competitor, according to SDL Marrakech Mobility.

Ahmed Ahjab, SDL’s operations director, confirmed the decision represents a strategic repositioning of collective mobility governance in the ochre city. The new management approach focuses on enhanced operations, maintenance, security, fraud prevention, commercial management, and user relations.

The implementation timeline proves remarkably swift. The contract was signed on Wednesday, 2025, followed by technical line tests on Thursday, and full service launch on Sunday. This rapid deployment aims to deliver immediate improvements in frequency, punctuality, capacity, and passenger comfort.

Supratours will operate 67 lines covering 1,342.7 kilometers with a planned fleet of 349 buses. The system targets annual production exceeding 37 million passenger-kilometers. Currently, 207 buses remain in service, including 158 urban and 49 suburban vehicles.

The new operator maintains current tariffs at MAD 5 ($0.50) per ticket until the end of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). Approved fare adjustments will take effect after the continental tournament concludes. Service availability during the AFCON represents an immediate priority for the city.

Samir Goudar, president of the Marrakech-Safi Region and of the Marrakech Transport territorial grouping, addressed employee concerns during the contract signing ceremony.

All ALSA staff will retain their acquired benefits and social-professional rights during the transition. The new operator plans to utilize expertise from the previous company to ensure service continuity.

Regular service, improved urban-suburban connections, and integrated bus services

Goudar stressed that incoming buses meet international standards with modern amenities including air conditioning and Wi-Fi connectivity. These features aim to provide improved comfort for citizens and visitors using public transport.

ALSA’s exit from Marrakech marks a defining rupture for the Spanish operator, now owned by the British group Mobico, ending a decades-long era in which it dominated the city’s urban mobility landscape.

The firm first entered Morocco through Marrakech in 1999, later expanding to manage urban transport in Agadir (2010), Tangier (2013), Khouribga (2015), and Morocco’s administrative and economic capitals in 2018 and 2019.

The loss constitutes a serious blow for ALSA, which had already seen its footprint shrink after losing management contracts in two other major Moroccan cities. Company officials had expressed concerns about maintaining their remaining urban transport portfolios across the kingdom.

The territorial grouping’s delegated management system aims to strengthen service regularity, improve urban-suburban connections, and integrate bus services into Marrakech’s broader metropolitan mobility strategy. The transition addresses the city’s growing urban development needs and rising passenger demand.

Supratours’ network design targets improved territorial coverage, better access to expanding neighborhoods, and smoother connections to economic, tourist, and university zones. The gradual service ramp-up should deliver observable enhancements in service quality and passenger experience.