Passengers arriving at Tangier railway station are finding the meter increasingly difficult to come by, with some petit-taxi drivers demanding more than MAD 50 per person and refusing trips at the regulated fare.
Le360 observed the practice outside the station, where drivers gather as Al Boraq and other trains arrive, looking for passengers before negotiating a price rather than switching on the meter.
MAD 150 to the airport, up to MAD 70 in town: Taxi fares go off-meter at Tangier station
In some cases, drivers leave their taxis and head towards the station entrance to pick up one or two additional passengers. Fares can then climb above MAD 70.
The practice has generated repeated complaints from passengers and residents during both the summer and winter seasons.
Some drivers refuse to take a single passenger — or even two — at the metered fare, instead filling the taxi and charging each passenger separately.
MAD 150-plus for the airport
Passengers heading to Tangier Ibn Battouta Airport face an even steeper bill.
Some drivers are demanding more than MAD 150 for the trip from the station, despite the MAD 100 fare set by the Tangier authorities.
The scenes have become a daily feature around the station despite the presence of local authorities and traffic police responsible for regulating transport and circulation in the area.
And the rules leave little ambiguity over the practices involved.
Petit-taxi drivers are not allowed to impose charges beyond the meter, while Article 18 of the regulations governing road transport bars them from refusing passengers or imposing unauthorized conditions.
Article 19 gives the authorities the power to suspend or permanently withdraw a taxi license when violations are established.
