The Public Service Concession: The Case of Urban Public Transport in Casablanca

The concession model for managing public services has recently gained renewed interest in Moroccan administrative law, driven by public authorities' desire to involve national private capital in managing public-interest activities. The case of urban bus transport in Casablanca illustrates this trend. Rapid demographic growth—from approximately 1 million inhabitants in 1960 to over 2.5 million in 1985—combined with a near-doubling of urbanised area over two decades, has created a situation increasingly difficult to manage. The author examines how the concession technique offers a potential solution to these mounting challenges.