RABAT AND CASABLANCA: TRAFFIC JAMS

RABAT AND CASABLANCA: TRAFFIC JAMS

Rabat and Casablanca are modern cities but also have a modern problem: traffic jams. In the early mornings, and again in the evening, around 8 pm, the streets are crowded with cars, buses, taxis, and trucks. In this essay, I will explain the causes of jam in these two cities and discuss the effects of this problem.

Traffic problems in Rabat and Casablanca stem from several causes. The rapid economic growth has enabled most Moroccans to buy their own cars. This has put intense pressure on the road system which is very old and has not been able to keep up with the expansion in population. Another cause is the absence of any major public transport system such as modern buses, tramways or subways. Because of this, most workers in these two cities rely on hordes of old buses and taxis of every sort, thus adding to the congestion.

The resulting traffic jam has several adverse effects. First of all is the frustration and anger felt by road-users. This can result in tension and accidents, and, ironically, emergency vehicles may not even be able to reach the scenes of such accidents. Another effect is the waste of time spent in traffic. This lowers productivity at work and contributes to reduced time at school and with family.
There are also additional costs to these cities in terms of air pollution.

Road-users will need to cooperate with municipal authorities as they introduce measures to reduce congestion. However, most people in Rabat and Casablanca are confident that these two cities will still be an attractive place to live if the problems of traffic and road conditions are dealt with in more reasonable ways.