The transport sector is an essential component of the economic system in the region of the Sahara. It includes tourist road transport, passenger and freight, shipping and air transport.
Road transport
Road transport has grown quickly thanks to state’s support to access to credit cars, licenses (taxis) and passenger transport authorisations linking the Sahara region to all the Kingdom’s towns and major European cities.
The liberalization of goods transport operated by the state in 2005 has allowed the emergence on the market of several domestic and foreign transport companies allowing goods transportation to and from the main cities in the Sahara region.
The following table presents the vehicles registered under the registration center. These figures do not include state’s vehicles as well as the vehicles registered abroad:
|
Centre |
Ensemble des
véhicules (2002) |
Véhicules de
tourisme (2002) |
Ensemble des
véhicules (2003) |
Véhicules de
tourisme (2003) |
|
Laâyoune |
437 |
270 |
704 |
419 |
|
Autres centres (dont les autres villes de la région du Sahara |
10 718 |
6 722 |
10 395 |
5 550 |
The following table presents driving licenses issued by examination centers:
|
Régions |
Femmes (2004) |
Total (2004) |
Femmes (2005) |
Total (2005) |
|
Oued Eddahab-Lagouira |
148 |
1 574 |
104 |
1 338 |
|
Dakhla |
148 |
1 574 |
104 |
1 338 |
|
Laâyoune-Boujdour-Sakia El Hamra |
684 |
4 872 |
357 |
3 941 |
|
Laâyoune |
638 |
4 295 |
318 |
3 333 |
|
Boujdour |
46 |
577 |
39 |
608 |
|
Guelmim-Smara |
595 |
7 048 |
233 |
4 313 |
|
Smara |
93 |
753 |
34 |
680 |
|
Guelmim |
270 |
2 223 |
85 |
1 777 |
|
Tan-Tan |
232 |
4 072 |
114 |
1 856 |
The following table shows figures on the national public road transport. The region of the Sahara registers between 5 to 10% of figures below:
|
Parc agréé |
2004 |
2005 |
Variation en % |
|
Transports publics de voyageurs
Nombre d’autorisations dont exploitées |
3 449
… |
3 498
2 570 |
1,4 |
|
Transports touristiques
Nombre d’autorisations dont exploitées |
6 817
… |
7 325
2 969 |
7,5 |
|
Transports mixtes
Nombre d’autorisations dont exploitées |
2 243
… |
2 487
1 025 |
10, |
|
Transports publics de marchandises
Nombre d’autorisations dont exploitées |
21 927
…
|
24 797
… |
13,1
|
The following table presents road freight declared at the level of the Société Nationale de Transport et de Logistique (ex-ONT). These figures do not include the freight by private enterprises set up in Morocco after the liberalization of the transport sector:
|
2004 |
2005 |
Variation en % |
|
Marchandises transportées (milliers tonnes) |
18 011 |
21 760 |
20 ,8 |
|
Tonnes / km (millions) |
1 249 |
1 256 |
0,5 |
The Sahara region alone detains 20% of the above figures.
Maritime Transport
Maritime transport also saw a significant development in the last years. The following tables provide figures on ships boarding and alighting and their loading / unloading:
|
Navires (E S) (nombre) |
2004 |
2005 |
Variation en % |
|
Ports nationaux (total) |
38 776 |
40 387 |
4,2 |
|
Ports de la région du Sahara |
1 323 |
1 721 |
30,1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jauge brute (E S) (Milliers Tonneaux –
1 tonneau = 2,83 m3) |
2004 |
2005 |
Variation en % |
|
Ports nationaux (total) |
345 051 |
337 084 |
-2,3 |
|
Ports de la région du Sahara |
5 631 |
6 545 |
16,2 |
|
Marchandises au niveau des ports de la région du Sahara (milliers de tonnes) |
2004 |
2005 |
Variation en % |
|
Chargement |
3 040 |
4 182 |
37,6 |
|
Déchargement |
465 |
573 |
23,2 |
Regarding air traffic, the national and international companies have linked the main cities in the Sahara region directly or indirectly to all the cities in the Kingdom as well as several capitals and cities in the world
The links below shows destinations and flight schedules concerning the airports of: