Casablanca: the arrest of a taxi driver revives the taxi-VTC conflict

Following the complaint of a Russian diplomat caught in an altercation between a taxi and a VTC near a luxury hotel in Casablanca, a taxi professional was arrested to the general surprise of his colleagues. They are demanding his release.

The events took place in front of a prestigious hotel in Casablanca last weekend, where a group of taxi drivers were waiting for potential customers. According to taxi drivers who witnessed the incident, a car linked to a ride-sharing application came to pick up the Russian diplomat and his wife, which “angered” the taxi drivers because these applications are not legally recognized in Morocco. One of the taxi drivers, Jamal, allegedly approached the diplomat to explain to him that ride-sharing applications operate illegally in Morocco and urged him to seek the services of a licensed taxi instead, we learn.