Taroudant- After the government decided to launch its renewal program for grand taxis last June as part of measures aimed at the development of taxi transport services, Dacia, the first brand to have launched jointly with the government a project dedicated to large taxis, has already sold 113 Lodgy Taxis as for February 24, 2015.
According to a video posted on YouTube, 30% of these taxis were sold in the Casablanca market, the rest were distributed over several cities, including Tangier, Tetouan, Fez, Agadir and Marrakech.
Mustapha Chaoun, the secretary general of the national union of transport professionals, said that “45,000 taxis all over Morocco have to be renovated.” Chaoun added that these taxis should be renovated gradually because there are some administrative problems that should be fixed first.
A taxi driver, one of those who benefited from this offer, said that “the taxi is comfortable, but it should be adjusted to suit heavy loads.”
In a statement last December, the Ministry of Interior said that the government would offer owners of the grand taxis who meet certain requirements a subsidy of 80,000 Dirhams to replace their old Mercedes 240 Diesel with either a Dacia Lodgy seven-seater minivan, or the larger Renault Traffic van.
Most of the taxis are the Mercedes 240 Diesel model which are more than 30 years old. These are well past their “expiration date,” but are still roaming the streets of Morocco, uncomfortably carrying six passengers plus the driver at one time.
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