This week’s session in the Moroccan House of Representatives witnessed significant tension following remarks made by parliamentarian Rim Shabat regarding the state of urban transport in Fes. In her speech, Shabat strongly criticized the condition of public transport in the city, highlighting the poor services and the difficult conditions faced by citizens, particularly tourists visiting Fes. She described the old buses as “scrap” and pointed out that some buses are operating without essential equipment, reflecting the neglect that the city is suffering in this regard.
Shabat also addressed other issues related to the tourism sector, calling for the promotion of domestic tourism and for offering reasonable travel options for citizens. She highlighted the struggles of the Moroccan diaspora abroad due to the high cost of travel tickets. Furthermore, she sharply criticized the decline in tourism investments in the Fes-Meknes region, which faces one of the highest unemployment rates, urging the government to allocate greater investments to create jobs for young people.
Additionally, the parliamentarian criticized the lack of sufficient support for unlicensed tourist guides in the city. She emphasized the importance of focusing on cultural and religious tourism, especially in the historic old town of Fes, which is home to many historical sites such as the Tijani Zaouia.
In response to her remarks, the Speaker of the House of Representatives intervened to clarify that urban transport falls under the responsibility of local authorities, not the government, as stipulated in the Moroccan Constitution. He emphasized that discussions on this matter fall outside the constitutional roles of the government and parliament. The Speaker concluded that this issue should be referred to the Ethics Committee, stating: “We do not have the right to intervene in local affairs, as the constitution has allocated specific chapters for it, and neither the government nor parliament can interfere in local governance.”
source : fesnews media