Agadir’s new taxi station has been built and largely equipped, with destinations already assigned to different routes. Nearly a year later, however, its doors remain shut.
More than 300 taxi drivers who are expected to operate from the facility continue to work from temporary boarding points, while passengers wait in conditions residents and professionals say lack basic comfort and safety.
“The situation has become unbearable with these temporary stations, which do not even meet basic safety and comfort standards,” Agadir resident Abdellah told Le360.
Passengers can be left waiting amid dust and rubble, exposed to the sun and sometimes sitting on the ground until their taxi arrives.
Conditions become particularly difficult during periods of extreme heat, while residents are already concerned about what another winter will bring.
“When it rains, trips from the temporary station in the Battoir district become a real nightmare for many citizens,” Abdellah said.
Built — but no opening date
Taxi operators say the bigger frustration is that they still do not have a clear explanation for the delay.
They had expected the station to be operating before the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, according to Jamal Sahel, president of the Professional Association of Petit Taxi Owners and Drivers in Agadir.
“We thought the station would open before the start of AFCON 2025, but we were surprised to see that it remained closed, without a clear explanation from the municipal council," he said.
Sahel said professionals initially received one explanation: the company responsible for fitting out the station had not yet handed the project over to the municipality.
When they contacted officials again, he said, they were told the opposite.
“We were then told that the station had indeed been handed over to the Municipal Council and that it was now responsible for opening it and launching its services,” Sahel said.
The station is already largely equipped to handle different taxi routes, with destinations including Taroudant, Tiznit, Marrakech, Essaouira and the southern provinces.
It is intended to provide an organized departure point for grand taxis connecting Agadir with other cities and provinces.
Concerns over toilets
Even before the station opens, taxi operators are raising concerns over whether its sanitary facilities will be sufficient for the number of people expected to use it.
“The planned sanitary facilities do not seem sufficient to accommodate the number of people who will use the station every day,” Sahel said.
With more than 300 drivers expected to operate from the facility alongside passengers, he warned of queues and rapid deterioration of the equipment.
Professionals are now putting responsibility for the continued delay on the municipal council and want a firm opening date.
“We simply want to know when this station will finally open and why a facility that was built nearly a year ago is still closed,” Sahel said. “This project has waited long enough. We now want a clear date and an actual opening.”
