Iveco delivers its first Moroccan-assembled buses

07/04/2006

As an example of international integration resulting from the opening of world economies, buses from Italian company Iveco and assembled by a company set up in Casablanca by Iraqis were delivered to the Franco-Moroccan M'dina Bus Company, which holds the franchise for urban transport services in Casablanca.

By Mawassi Lahcen for Magharebia in Casablanca – 07/04/06

[File] The Iveco project is expected to create considerable job opportunities.

On Tuesday (4 April), Casablanca provided a successful example of international integration as a result of the globalisation process and the opening of world economies.

A consignment of buses from Italian Iveco brand and assembled locally with chassis constructed by the Atlas company, set up in Casablanca by Iraqis, and coachwork produced locally by the Spanish-Indian Hispano-Tat company, were delivered to the Franco-Moroccan M'dina Bus company, which holds the franchise for urban transport services in Casablanca.

Jean Plénat, managing director of the Iribus-Iveco group, told Magharebia that 80 per cent of the labour hours needed to build the buses being delivered had taken place in Morocco.

In fact, the buses being delivered make up the first batch of an order of 800 vehicles, spread over four years, to supply M'dina Bus. Overall investment in the transaction is estimated at $200m and will be financed by a consortium of Moroccan banks.

In November 2004, M'dina Bus, which emerged from a partnership between Parisian local transport authority RATP, Moroccan transport company Transinvest and Moroccan financial group Finance.com, was awarded the franchise for urban bus services in Casablanca.

Jean Plénat told Magharebia, "I believe that we are witnessing the first effects of a profound change in the country's transport policy today in Casablanca. If Casablanca has made this choice, then it is because the government is firmly behind it and I think that other towns will soon follow suit. And as soon as there is investment here for production, our vehicles will of course be available to neighbouring countries."