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Rond-point à Ouled Teima

Rond-point à Ouled Teima

Les priorités sont devenues claires dans les giratoires, ce qui n'était pas le cas dans le passé. Mais attention aux deux roues et aux carrioles diverses !

Gérer l'inattendu

Gérer l'inattendu

Il faut s'attendre à tout ! Ici une route emportée par l'oued Issen, au nord d'Ouled Teima

Voiture en panne

Voiture en panne

Il n'existe pas, au Maroc, d'organisation nationale de dépannage ni de club d'utilisateurs de la mobilité, comme le TCS. Certains assureurs ajoutent toutefois le dépannage à leurs prestations

Chemin de terre

Chemin de terre

Ils nécessitent de la prudence, mais sont tellement typiques ! Ici le chemin du Mimosa, l'un des trois qui mène au Jardin aux Etoiles

Le carburant est cher au Maroc

Le carburant est cher au Maroc

Les prix sont aussi élevés qu'en Europe, donc très chers pour les Marocains, vu leur niveau de vie

Aéroport Al Massira d'Agadir

Aéroport Al Massira d'Agadir

Les hôtes de notre riad en location ont la possibilité d'y louer une voiture avec 25 % de rabais

Road traffic in Morocco: our 13 tips

Contrary to what one might fear in a developing country, the Moroccan road network​ is relatively modern and well maintained, at least on the main roads. A European motorist is not totally out of place. However, he must exercise great caution at all times. And he should expect anything! The pitfalls are many! Here are our 13 practical tips, based on our own experience of traffic in Morocco.

 

 

 

 

1. Driving license :  A license from a European country is sufficient. The international circulation permit is not necessary. Moroccans get theirs after a more than rudimentary examination, and very unprofessional, so beware! Some drive in a particularly reckless way! Overtaking on the right is frequent... among other maneuvers contrary to international rules!

 

2. Legal provisions on road traffic :  they are generally taken from French legislation.

3. Order fines and bribery : the police are quick to draw up a report! However, do not think that foreigners are the first concerned; it is indeed the natives that the police and gendarmes are targeting. Don't be tempted by corruptiontion, the eradication of which is one of the major objectives of the Moroccan power, unfortunately without much result... Prefer to have a friendly discussion with the representative of the police who threatens to impose a fine on you. This can be quite salty. Most of the time, if you know how to do it and if your smile and your good faith appear clearly, you will be let go free of any prejudice. Tourists are generally privileged.


4. Speed controls : they are very frequent and based on the use of mobile speed cameras. On the Aït Melloul-Taroudant, respect the speed limits (100 km or 80 km, as well as 60 km when approaching the airport).

 

5. Pollution: the great majority of vehicles run on diesel, called gas oil, whose composition sometimes deserves to be analysed! Road pollution is consequently very high, especially since no anti-pollution control exists and many vehicles are old and have more than 300,000 km on the odometer... As a result, avoid the hours of heavy traffic when entering and leaving aagadir, especially at the end of the day, from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. The crossings of Inezgane, Aït Melloul and Tikiouine are particularly inadvisable at these times, as well as at noon.

 

6. Taxis: There are two types. The small taxi is green, the big one has been largely renewed to go from the Mercedes Benz brand (at the end of its run) to Dacia (made in Morocco). The first circulates in town and takes on board a maximum of three passengers. The second can carry up to five or six passengers, less compressed than yesterday! The latest large Mercedes Benz taxis are for the most part winded, which does not prevent some drivers from undertaking overtaking in questionable conditions... 

Whether it's a big or a small taxi, obviously negotiate the price in advance. If Moroccan users are nearby, check with them that the proposed rate is not a scam. You have to be extra careful toMarrakech, also called Arnakech, where some taxi drivers do not hesitate to lug you far into the countryside to make you believe that the journey between the airport and the medina is endless, which is not the case!

 

7. Public transport and trucks : so much toagadir what toMarrakesh, the Municipality has entrusted public transport to a Spanish company, named Alsa, which has replaced with modern vehiclesdangerous antiques that were circulating until two or three years ago. The network is quite dense in the city of Agadir. There is also a line to El Gfiffat and another toOuled Teima, the two localities closest to the Jardin aux Etoiles. Buses leave every hour.

 

Watch out for trucks! Their drivers frequently drive much too fast. They are walking dangers. Serious accidents are not uncommon. Stay away from them. Again, be ready for anything! A truck can come out dangerously in the opposite direction! But don't make it a phobia either.

 

8. Red lights : Watch out for the sunset. The colors are then difficult to identify, especially in Agadir, near the ocean, whose horizon is flat by definition.

 

9. Roundabouts : Signals whose local logic eluded the average conductor have been suppressed recently. From now on, the rule is the same as in Europe: anyone driving inside the roundabout has priority. With one major exception: roundabouts with red lights, very special hybrids in vogue in Morocco. Even if you are already on the roundabout, you must give way to vehicles that receive the green light... One of these traps is in Agadir! So double your attention. The local police are intractable, which is particularly appreciated by tourists who are not  informed about this specialty... very profitable.

 

10. Increased Night Danger : as a general rule, it is not recommended to drive after 1 am or 2 am or when traffic becomes scarce. It happened, for example, that thugs installed rock blocks on the Aït Melloul-Taroudant, in order to rob occupants of vehicles forced to stop facing these obstacles.  It is therefore important to manage your schedule well.

 

11. Unlit two-wheelers : despite the campaigns, we are told, by traffic officers, a very large majority of users continue to drive without any lighting or surface for reflecting light. These drivers put their bodily integrity in serious danger, especially since some young people find nothing better than to drive abreast, and not in single file! Particular attention is required toTaroudant and around this city.

 

12. Alcohol and Driving : although Morocco, a Muslim country, officially prohibits alcoholic beverages with regard to its nationals, it is not uncommon to encounter users taken to drink. This is how you can find yourself face to face with a drunk man in the middle of an unlit secondary road or with a motorcycle driver who has stopped at a stop sign and then suddenly rushes into your priority vehicle without any warning signs... And drivers are often held responsible in the event of injury or death.

 

13. Hitchhiking : it is not recommended for a tourist to take on board one or more strangers, unless accompanied by afour-legged guardian particularly dissuasive.

 

 

    Good plan

Fuel is expensive


If the network of service stations is dense, fuel is expensive in Morocco, since it is at the level of European prices, while the standard of living there is considerably lower.

 

Diesel (called gas oil) is the most widespread, but also the most polluting. Petrol and unleaded petrol can be found almost everywhere. The latter is a bit more expensive. 

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