Morocco Gets $150 Mln additional WB funding to improve public transport

The World Bank approved on Tuesday a $150 million funding in additional financing for Morocco’s Urban Transport Program, which seeks to improve the performance and the quality of public transport services.

The additional funding will enable Morocco to adapt its program to address new priorities of mobility, including those related to the impact of covid-19 pandemic.

The program has already delivered tangible results, notably through the Urban Transport Fund’s role in financing investment priorities, and by improving the planning, performance, and inter-municipal coordination of urban transport.

The investments made within the frame of the Program have already benefitted 40,000 daily users of urban transports. Its goal is to increase the total number of beneficiaries to 130,000 urban inhabitants per day in the four coming years.
“The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted that investing in safe, affordable and efficient public transport is more important today than ever”, said Mr. Jesko Hentschel, WB Maghreb Country Director.

“With this additional financing, we support the Moroccan authorities in maintaining their momentum for reform, and to develop enough, affordable transport for the country’s urban population”, he added.

For his part, Nabil Samir, Transport Special and Task Team Leader, said the program aims to spur a new dynamic by mainstreaming standards of efficiency across urban transport institutions to increase the sector’s performance.

With its closing date extended to June 2024, the program builds on the government’s National Strategy for Urban Mobility elaborated with the support of the World Bank.