Aid Al Adha in Morocco is not only a religious festival, but also a family one, which in ordinary times generates a great movement of the population. This is an opportunity for members of the same family, from the four corners of Morocco or even from abroad, to meet around the “Bulfaf” and “Mechoui”.
To do this, many citizens use coach transport to travel. But this year, demand is low and prices are high due to several factors.
At the bus station ” Kamra in Rabat, activity seems to be resuming just a few days before Aid Al-Adha scheduled for Sunday July 10. But the wish of many families comes up against the high ticket prices.
Visiting one of the largest train stations in Morocco, MoroccoLatestNews went to meet travelers, but also professionals, none of whom seemed satisfied with the prices. For their part, travelers complain about high prices, while drivers and transport companies confirm the lack of profits due to rising fuel prices.
Moreover, this situation of turbulence and anarchy at the level of the bus station ” Kamra » no different from previous years. Indeed, as the citizen advances towards the station, he is surrounded by several mediators, chanting the names of many cities while the companies remain prisoners of the iron counters, waiting for customers.
The many statements collected by MoroccoLatestNews at the same station unanimously agreed on the low demand this year compared to last year, and the reason remains unknown so far. But travelers associate it with exorbitant ticket prices, which has made family travel impossible.
A passenger at the station who intended to go to the city of Tiznit reported to MoroccoLatestNewsthat the price of the ticket went from 150 to 300 dirhams, stressing that he is a father and that Eid will cost him 1,200 dirhams for a one-way trip only, or 2,400 dirhams for the round trip.
Not far from this father, another traveler complained about the price of tickets for Marrakech, which amounts to 110 dirhams instead of the usual 80. The same is true for Fez, while to get to the cities of Tata, Zagora and Rachidia, the price is 300 dirhams.
For his part, Saïd Laoufir, director of the bus station ” Kamra »indicated that things are proceeding in a very normal way at the station, noting that so far no one has lodged a complaint about prices, despite the implementation by the Wilaya of Rabat, the management of the station, as well as the security services, from a dedicated counter.
In a statement to MoroccoLatestNews, Laoufir explains that the influx of travelers remains limited this year, pointing out that some increases are due to the rise in fuel prices. ” LCoach owners also complain about high transport costs“, he adds.
In this sense, the director of a coach company, requested by MoroccoLatestNews at the same station, felt that ” the fuel subsidy is not enough to cover a long journeyand, he continues, profits are non-existent in the current context, despite the slight increases in ticket prices”.
He also joined Laoufir on the fact that the influx of travelers is very low and the losses are significant, noting that “the total tickets sold for a coach going to Tata amounted to 15,000 Dhs, including 8,500 dirhams for fuel, in addition to repair costs, highways and driver salaries, then permits, taxes and other expenses“.
In the same context, a professional driver complained of ” many problems faced by professionals. Most of them have remained unemployed throughout the Covid period, and are now facing noticeable weakness in corporate profits, which threatens their wages.s”. For him, ” fuel is the cause of all problems“.
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