What's The Deal On Transport in Casablanca?
Public transportation is not as intricate in Casa as in other megalopolises. Here’s a breakdown of your options.
Taxi
The cheapest and most effective way to move around is by taxi. Morocco’s small cabs have different colours according to the city they’re in, and red is the official Casaoui colour. Always ask for the metre and monitor it! Taxi drivers have a cheeky tendency to overcharge foreigners. Base fare is 7.5 dh to 10 dh at night, and distance dictates the final amount, not time. A journey lasting from 20 to 30 minutes would cost around 27 dhs. The advantages of taxi apps like Careem are the possibility to select the card payment option in case you are low on cash. The infamous seven seater white cabs are more for long-hauls and their routes are predefined, like a shuttle.
Bus (toubiss)
Buses tend to be inefficient and impossible to plan around. The recently-appointed operator Alsa has started improving the quality of the service with a fleet of 450 new buses (which is projected to double), all of them have wifi on board. Check their website for the schedule.
Tramway (tram)
Casablanca’s biggest transport achievement is the low-floor Tramway; it took an eternity to launch and during that time became a gigantic construction site, a nightmare to navigate. There are two lines that reach across the city. Disposable tickets cost around 8 dh for a single trip but it’s better for the environment to get a Purple Card for 15 dh and refill as needed, or a Yellow Card for 60 dh a week, granting unlimited trips. You can only top-up with coins or by card as notes aren’t accepted and the machine doesn’t give change back. The tram is accessible and well connected; tram agents are helpful and professional and another major plus is the AC during summer. The Casatramway app contains all the information you’ll need.
Coach (kar)
Intercity travel gives you two choices: train or coach. The coach service CTM is by default the most reliable and qualitative. It takes you pretty much everywhere in Morocco.
Train (tran)
The Moroccan National Railway Office links Casablanca to multiple cities (not all!). The high speed Al-Boraq launched at the end of 2018 and is the fastest commercialised service in Africa, reaching 320 kilometres an hour: Tangiers becomes a quick two-hour journey from Casablanca.
Add some spice to your adventure and rent motorbikes to explore the city. You can drive a 50cc bike without a licence; rental shops are located in the Medina.
