Casablanca officials are preparing to crack down on makeshift traffic calming devices and unauthorized barriers that residents have been erecting in city streets. The move comes as complaints mount over limited parking and increasingly disruptive obstructions.
The city council is expected to vote on a measure during its next session that would formally prohibit the placement of any obstacles in public roadways. Residents have been using items like stones, chains, planters, and even concrete structures to reserve parking spaces, creating hazards and damaging vehicles, according to local reports.
Police will be responsible for enforcing the new regulations, issuing written warnings for initial offenses before removing the obstructions at the owner’s expense. Seized items, including barrels, chairs, and metal barricades, will be impounded at the municipal depot in coordination with local authorities.
The proposed ban responds to a significant increase in resident complaints regarding parking pressures in several neighborhoods. The action underscores the city’s effort to regain control over public spaces that some residents had begun to treat as private property.
The initiative follows a broader effort to improve the city’s appearance, including a new requirement for building owners to maintain their facades. Casablanca is undergoing a period of revitalization, with officials seeking to address long-standing urban issues.
The city is also making changes to its administrative police force. Recent reforms to the Casablanca administrative police are intended to improve enforcement of city ordinances and public safety.
