Casablanca
UMR Index
Score: 34.2%
Sustainable Mobility
Score: 37.0%
Public Transit
Score: 33.9%
| Population | 4.1 million |
| Surface area (km2) | 469 |
| Population-density (people/km2) | 8,749 |
| GDP per capita ($) | 6,589 |
What Casablanca Does Well in Urban Mobility
For the second consecutive year and three of the last four, Casablanca leads other cities with the highest percentage of pedestrian travel. One recent survey reportedly found that 62% of journeys in the city are made on foot.
The city has a network of well-maintained roads and a strong traffic management system that helps to keep traffic fatalities down. The city also is investing in public transit and expects to complete two new tram lines and two rapid bus transit routes in 2024.
Urban Mobility Readiness Index, Sustainable Mobility and Public Transit scores
Challenges and Opportunities for Casablanca’s Transportation System
Notwithstanding low car ownership rates and high pedestrian activity, the city lacks dedicated cycling infrastructure and car-free zones.
Casablanca has limited international airline service and an inefficient and underdeveloped supply-chain infrastructure. However, the city’s airport has reportedly returned to nearly pre-pandemic levels of passengers, an indication of promising years ahead.
Dimensions of the Urban Mobility Readiness Index score
How Casablanca Can Improve Its Public Transportation and Sustainable Mobility
With high fares relative to household income, the city underperforms its regional peers on affordability. To help close the gap, Casablanca can provide government backed subsidies for transit fares. This can be accomplished in multiple ways, including lowering fares for everyone, reducing them on an income basis, or selling discounted long-term passes (monthly or quarterly, for example) for heavy transit users.
Casablanca lags behind many of its peers with few car-free zones throughout the city. Car-free zones support pedestrian and cyclist safety by removing cars from specific roads, increasing efficiency of foot and bike traffic. The city can follow the example of other cities by piloting car-free zones in small increments at first such on specific days of the week or during temperate months and expand them based on public perception and utilization.