Instead of complaining about transportation, cleanliness, or safety, 48% of Casablanca residents complain about parking attendants. It’s a problem that affects everyone,” shares Moulay Ahmed Afilal, Vice President of the Casablanca City Council.
Since January 2025, the city of Casablanca has begun a complete restructuring of its parking management system. This initiative, led by City Council President Nabila Rmili, involves suspending permits for parking attendants. The goal is twofold: to put an end to the widespread disorder affecting parking and to establish a modern, transparent management model.
In an administrative memo dated December 31, 2024, and published on her X account, the mayor’s instructions to the presidents of the district councils were clear: no longer issue or renew individual permits for parking attendants. A radical decision, driven by the “total anarchy” prevailing in the sector, explains Moulay Ahmed Afilal.
Parking attendants, once loosely regulated, are often behind problematic practices such as the illegal resale of permits or unauthorized subcontracting. As a result, no parking attendant is now authorized to operate legally on the streets of Casablanca. “This reorganization is based on a 2016 study conducted by the firm Transitec, which, due to a lack of favorable conditions, was never implemented,” the official informs us.
In his study, Transitec had proposed a master plan aimed at streamlining parking in the city, accompanied by concrete improvement measures. Among them were a categorization of parking zones, restrictions to limit prolonged occupancy of spaces, and tailored pricing for each zone.
Red zones and park-and-ride
To date, 831 parking meters cover approximately 18,000 spaces, generating an annual revenue of 7 million dirhams—a figure deemed insufficient given the city’s potential. Casa Baia, the company responsible for managing the parking meters, attributes this shortfall to the unregulated practices of parking attendants, who divert a significant portion of the revenue.
To address this, the city of Casablanca plans, among other measures, “the widespread installation of parking meters in strategic zones,” such as the Corniche, the hospital district, and Casanearshore. “We are currently evaluating whether to launch a call for tenders for private companies or to manage this through Casa Baia or Casa Transport,” explains Afilal.
One of the key aspects of the reform involves dividing parking spaces into three types of zones, each tailored to a specific use.
Areas near commercial hubs or popular destinations will be classified as red zones, designated for short-term parking limited to two hours. This restriction, coupled with deterrent pricing for exceeding the allowed time, aims to encourage regular vehicle turnover.
Surrounding the red zones, blue zones will allow medium-term parking, lasting up to four hours. Finally, green zones will be reserved for long-term parking in neighborhoods where parking pressures are lower. These spaces could be free, managed by parking attendants, or equipped with low-cost parking meters.
The goal is to alleviate congestion in the city center, where 90% of spaces are currently occupied by commuters—those who drive daily to their workplaces and occupy spaces all day. This situation hinders vehicle turnover, exacerbates downtown congestion, and harms the appeal of local businesses. By redirecting these commuters to park-and-ride facilities located near public transit lines, the city hopes to encourage more sustainable modes of transportation, such as the tramway or busway.
The regulated return of parking attendants
Although temporarily suspended, the activity of parking attendants is not destined to disappear. However, it will be strictly regulated through a set of guidelines. Attendants will be required to wear identifiable uniforms, display their identity and authorization, and meet rigorous criteria, such as having no criminal record.
To simplify the process and ensure transparency, authorization requests will now be digitized. This approach will enable the municipality to maintain an updated database, tracking active parking attendants by zone and street.
“Our goal is not to end the work of parking attendants in Casablanca. But Morocco will soon host major events, notably the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and the 2030 World Cup, and we can no longer tolerate this chaos,” Nabila Rmili clarified in a statement to our colleagues at Médias24.
As for Moulay Ahmed Afilal, he asserts that this profession (parking attendant) could generate a “substantial sum” for the city’s coffers “if properly managed”: “Parking space profits should rightfully benefit the city’s treasury.”
If this is not currently the case, it is “due to on-the-ground misappropriation,” argues the official, who notes that “prices can go as high as 15 or 20 dirhams.” It is worth noting that the current rate for public parking spaces in Casablanca is 2 dirhams per hour—a price that may increase in certain areas, such as Anfa Boulevard, Al Massira Boulevard, or Aïn Diab.
However, resistance from parking attendants could complicate the implementation of these reforms. Additionally, the cost of technological innovations and infrastructure, such as park-and-ride facilities, requires significant investment. But the parking reform, which has been debated and shelved repeatedly by the council—notably in 2017—marks a decisive first step toward more efficient and structured urban space management. Its success hinges on concrete actions: rapid deployment of promised infrastructure, clear communication with users, strict regulation of parking attendants, and adherence to tight deadlines as AFCON 2025 fast approaches.
Casablanca has launched a major reform of its parking management system since the start of the year. Spearheaded by City Council President Nabila Rmili, the initiative aims to decongest the metropolis, plagued by unregulated parking. Details from Moulay Ahmed… pic.twitter.com/jOZHibhSZW
— TelQuel (@TelQuelOfficiel) January 23, 2025
Written in French by ElMehdi El Azhary, edited in English by Eric Nielson
