🧩 The Challenge
With 63% of Moroccans now living in cities—a number set to rise to 70% by 2050—urbanization is creating opportunities for economic growth and connectivity. Yet women and low-income communities face significant challenges in this changing landscape. Congested roads, unreliable public transport, and limited access to jobs and services highlight the need for a new approach to urban movement.
A 2017 World Bank-funded survey1 identified several barriers to women’s access to urban transport, with safety concerns being a significant issue. Many women expressed worries about their personal security and stated that they would use public transport more often if security was improved. 90% of women indicated that better service, greater reliability, shorter wait times, and improved facilities would also increase their use of public transport. The presence of other women on public transport was another key factor, with women reporting feeling more comfortable when surrounded by other women, whether passengers or employees.
🛠️ The Intervention
To support this effort, the World Bank has committed $350 million through the Morocco Urban Transport Program and its additional financing.2 The program aims to create accessible Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems for all—women and men alike. Key initiatives include:
- BRT Services: This involves offering more frequent service and schedules that fit women's travel patterns.
- Female-Friendly Infrastructure: This includes ramps, handlebars, and lower grades that make it easier to walk. Storage space for packages, bags, and strollers, convenience stores, and clean, safe public restrooms are equally important. Easy-to-use transfer stations and fare integration systems specifically cater to women, who typically take more multi-leg trips than men do.
- Training: Operators, local stakeholders, and transit authorities trained to create a conducive travel environment for women.
- Codes of Conduct: Clearly defined rules to promote safety during transit.
Casablanca launched its BRT Line 1 in March 2024; Agadir’s BRT is expected by mid-2025.
To date, 100,000 daily users, including approximately 45% women, are benefiting from the new, safe, reliable, clean, and modern public transport system. This number is projected to increase to 130,000 daily users with the introduction of the new BRT system in Agadir, set to launch in November 2025.
đź’ˇ Lessons Learned
- Sex-disaggregated Data: Sex-disaggregated mobility data permits transport authorities to develop design and track progress.
- Infrastructure design that addresses women’s needs: Female-friendly BRT infrastructure, accessible facilities, and frequent service that fits with women's needs significantly boosts female ridership.
- Private Sector Influence: The hiring of female bus drivers was driven by private companies as part of an Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) commitment, highlighting the role of the private sector in promoting changes.
Note: Nabil Samir, Senior Transport Specialist at the World Bank, provided input into this case study.
1 World Bank. 2017. Morocco Urban Transport Social Survey, Funded by the Umbrella Facility of Gender Equality (UFGE), Washington DC. Internal document.
2 Morocco Urban Transport Project (Program For Results) and its Additional Financing (P149653 and P173048) (2015–2025)