Vectalia will manage the public transport in Safi (Morocco)

Starting 1st January, the Vectalia Group will manage public transport in Safi (Morocco) giving service to the entire metropolitan area, where a half million people live. Safi, located 160 kilometers from Marrakesh and 245 kilometers from Casablanca, is the home of important industrial centers for phosphates, the chemical industry, fishing and one of the most highly transited ports in Morocco.

The mayor of Safi, Abdeljalil Labdaoui, made an institutional visit to Alicante on 18th September where he met with the mayor of Alicante, Luis Barcala, and the president of the Alicante City Council, , César Sánchez. The delegation of political representatives from Safi took advantage of their trip to see how Vectalia manages urban transport in Alicante and met with the president of the Alicante Chamber of Commerce, Juan Riera.

The offer presented by Vectalia won the public call for tender, competing against other important transport operators.  The fleet scheduled to initiate the activity includes 70 buses and a total of 90 by the end of the fifth year.  The contract is for a term of ten years, including a possible extension of 5 additional years and a predicted investment of 20 million Euros.

The new fleet of 70 buses will travel around 5.5 million kilometers a year, transporting a predicted 22 million passengers.  Vectalia will absorb the actual workforce (158 workers) and it is estimated that an additional 60 new jobs will be created.

Vectalia, which also operates in several cities in France and Spain, was awarded its second contract in Morocco.  It has been managing transport in Nador and its metropolitan area since last July, serving a million people.

All of the buses in the new fleet in Safi will be equipped with air conditioning, access ramps for passengers with limited mobility,  mechanisms for easy access, electronic signs, security cameras with real time connection to headquarters, bus shelters at stops, quick response (QR) codes, a website containing service information and apps for mobile phones.

The project contemplates the progressive installation of a support service in real time for some of the lines which will include led panels at the stops, ticket vending machines at main stops and buses (EEVs) that conform to European emission standards Euro 5 and Euro 6.

 

 

The institutional delegation from Safi is formed by:

 

  • Mohamed Heddaji, Director General of the Commune of Safi
  • Mohamed Lemkhouden, Vice president of the Municipal Council, Ex-president of the Chamber of Industry, Commerce and Services of Safi, and member of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Services of the Marrakech-Safi Region
  • Reda Bougemazi, representative and Vice president of the Committee for Finances, Budgets and Programming of Safi, Head of the Transport of the city
  • Abdoussalame Ikhouane, professional engineer (state engineer) and Head of the Department in the city of Safi