by Robert Moss

Created on: August 16, 2008

Travelling around Morocco by public transport is quite a viable alternative to driving a hire car, and often a more preferable option than tackling some extraordinarily bad driving conditions all by yourself. Although more rudimentary than their equivalents in Europe the various methods to get from A to B in Morocco are invariably more interesting and eventful. Your options for travel between city, town, and village will be by "Grand Taxi" or "Autobus". Usually more of the former than the latter.

There is no signage or obvious way to divine where to go or who to go to amongst the various grand taxis, and sometimes buses, within the dusty parking grounds that constitute the public transport facilities of Moroccan towns. Instead you have to throw yourself into the thing. Almost immediately you will be approached by someone, usually multiple "someones", shouting the destination that they would like passengers for. This will not be where you wish to go, probably not anywhere you have heard of, nor anywhere that you can find on a map, and possibly nowhere near where the taxi will eventually set off for. The best tactic is to approach these drivers and touts head on, shouting out your intended destination.

Although sometimes a compromise on destination is all that can be achieved you will be organically directed towards the grand taxi that vaguely serves your needs. That is to say it intends to go your way if enough passengers arrive. If they don't it won't, and if they want to go in the other direction then maybe all bets are off. After being received by your potential driver, as a potential fare, you will either be directed to disgorge your luggage into the boot of the collective grand taxi, or alternatively to go and sit in one of the attendant taxi rank cafes and wait, although possibly both. Payment may not be collected until you arrive at the destination, unless the driver needs to fill up with fuel at the start of the journey, but should certainly not be made before the collective grand taxi is full of passengers and ready to leave.

Much of this hassle can be avoided by hiring a grand taxi for your own personal use, rather than incur the wait and mild discomfort that is entailed in joining a collective grand taxi and its 6 passengers. These passengers are distributed four to the back seat, with another two in the front passenger seat. These grand taxis are usually big old 1960's Mercedes with plenty of room inside. Nevertheless, if you are in any way even mildly

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