Mobile units to reinforce road safety in Morocco

Morocco has set up mobile units for road safety (BMCR) to reinforce road safety and reduce the serious human and material losses resulting from accidents that cost Morocco annually 11 billion (around USD 1.22 billion), i.e 2.5 percent of the GDP.

Some 345 people died and 1081 others were seriously injured from January through May 2005 in 15,382 road accidents in Morocco.

BMCR, to sanction people who violate the road code, will monitor roads known for traffic jam, as well as places where the highest number of accidents is signalled.

Ten teams are starting as of Tuesday their mission and will be operational in seven cities namely, Casablanca (3 units), Rabat (2 units), Marrakech, Tangier, Tetuan, Fez and Agadir (1 unit each).

Each unit will be composed of 25 elements that will be divided into 4 groups.

This move aims at meeting the needs in terms of road safety and at limiting the high number of accidents.

From June 6 through June 12, seventeen people perished and 941 others were wounded in 740 road accidents.

According to statistics of the Direction Generale de la Sžrete Nationale (DGSN), accidents are notably due to the disrespect of the road code, speed excess, drunk driving and the inadvertence of pedestrians.

King Mohammed VI chaired on February 18 a meeting on a road safety awareness campaign, giving instructions to exert utmost efforts for the success of the campaign.