Due to their location, some vehicle inspection center projects do not comply with the new master plan and are therefore ineligible for the new call for tenders
The new call for tenders for the opening of 249 new vehicle inspection centers is not going down well. While some operators are delighted that it has finally been launched, others are calling for it to be canceled outright. A group of investors has just published a press release entitled “Scandal in the field of vehicle inspection ” , referring to “ the cancellation of the call for competition that was launched in 2024” and “the opaque modification of the criteria in the new 2025 consultation.” . (See L’Economiste No. 7087 of September 7, 2025).
In a surprising and shocking move, the board of directors of NARSA, the National Road Safety Agency, chaired by the Minister of Transport, canceled the call for tenders launched in 2024, causing astonishment and anger among interested competitors.
This move contradicts the plan initiated by the former Minister of Transport, which provided for the opening of new centers in accordance with NARSA’s program. Many candidates are outraged by this cancellation. What angers investors most is that the cancellation came at a time when NARSA was preparing to announce the results of the operation at its board meeting on April 22, 2025, as officially announced. The candidates are questioning the basis for this decision, given that the call for competition had been officially prepared before being canceled by Abdessamad Kayouh, to everyone’s surprise. In fact, Kayouh did not agree with the conditions contained in the consultation, especially since he was not yet a minister.
These conditions would have led to the authorization of several hundred new vehicle inspection centers instead of the number initially planned.
Vehicle technical inspection is a sensitive activity, especially on the eve of elections, which will coincide with the deadline given to the operators selected to implement their projects. Why are voices being raised against this decision? Dozens of candidates have invested several million dirhams (hundreds of thousands of US dollars) in renting (for almost two years now), purchasing, or constructing, and equipping premises. It is certain that no one is foolish enough to incur all these expenses without being sure of obtaining a license to operate.
Furthermore, some have invested in premises in accordance with the zoning set out in the former vehicle inspection master plan, which allowed them to open without too many geographical restrictions.
With the new zoning, these individuals are excluded due to the introduction of the principle imposing a certain distance between vehicle centers. Some candidates have even taken legal action to challenge the cancellation and seek compensation, as this situation has caused them significant hardship.
Hassan EL ARIF