NARSA prepares new motorcycle registration rules and targets delivery rider risks

Yesterday 15:15

Morocco’s National Road Safety Agency (NARSA) is stepping up efforts to address road-safety risks affecting motorcycle delivery workers, as the rapid expansion of delivery services puts new pressure on urban mobility.

The issue was discussed during a meeting between NARSA Director Nasser Boulaajoul and representatives of the Moroccan Federation of Motorcycle, Bicycle and Electric Bicycle Importers and Distributors. The discussions focused on the conditions under which delivery riders operate and the potential safety consequences of tight delivery deadlines.

The agency’s position is that commercial targets should not encourage riders to take excessive risks on increasingly busy urban roads.

Delivery deadlines under scrutiny

According to Boulaajoul, NARSA has already intervened with a major delivery company over practices involving order cancellations when deliveries were not completed within predetermined time limits.

Such arrangements can create additional pressure on riders, potentially encouraging them to speed or take unnecessary risks to meet contractual or platform requirements.

The NARSA director stressed that companies operating delivery services have a responsibility to create working conditions compatible with road-safety standards. The burden of meeting delivery targets, he argued, should not be transferred to motorcycle riders operating in dense urban environments.

The agency is also emphasizing access to appropriate equipment. Boulaajoul said efforts had been made to ensure that companies provide the necessary work and safety equipment to riders free of charge, rather than shifting those costs onto workers.

Motorcycle registration system set for overhaul

The meeting also addressed a separate issue with potentially broad implications for motorcycle owners: changes to procedures governing motorcycle ownership transfers and registration.

New procedures are expected to begin from January 1, when motorcycle owners will increasingly have to complete administrative and technical formalities through registration centres, including requirements linked to technical inspections and vehicle documentation.

Industry representatives have raised concerns about the capacity of existing facilities to handle the expected volume of applications.

The Federation warned that registration centres could face significant congestion, particularly because each prefecture currently has limited infrastructure for handling such procedures.

New regulations expected to ease administrative pressure

In response, NARSA said new regulatory texts would soon be published to make the transition more flexible and reduce the risk of administrative bottlenecks.

The objective is to simplify procedures for motorcycle owners while ensuring that the registration system can absorb the additional workload generated by the reforms.

The planned changes are also expected to introduce magnetic registration cards for motorcycles, bringing their documentation closer to the system already used for cars.

The reform would modernize vehicle identification and strengthen administrative oversight of motorcycles, while creating a more standardized framework for registration and technical control.

Industry calls for practical implementation

Abdelaziz Achridi, president of the Moroccan Federation of Motorcycle, Bicycle and Electric Bicycle Importers and Distributors, said the meeting provided an opportunity to raise practical concerns affecting both industry professionals and motorcycle users.

Among the main issues were road safety, registration procedures and the planned technical inspection requirements.

Achridi stressed the importance of adapting the implementation of the reforms to the size of Morocco’s motorcycle fleet and the capacity of registration centres.

He also indicated that discussions with NARSA reflected a willingness to maintain consultation with industry representatives as the new regulatory framework is introduced.

A broader road-safety dialogue

The meeting concluded with an agreement to organize a dedicated study day on motorcycle road safety, bringing together government authorities, industry representatives, delivery companies and other stakeholders.

The event is expected to examine the risks associated with motorcycle use, the working conditions of delivery riders and practical measures aimed at reducing crashes and improving road safety.

NARSA and the Federation also agreed to continue consultations in the coming months. The talks are expected to accompany the implementation of the new registration procedures and provide a channel for identifying operational difficulties.

For Morocco, the combined focus on delivery workers and motorcycle registration reflects a broader effort to bring a rapidly expanding segment of urban transport under stronger safety, identification and regulatory standards.