Casablanca’s city council will vote on 7 May on a plan to let the state investment group CDG take over the management of public parking across the city.
The change would replace the current operator, Casa Baïa, which wants to step back to focus on other big projects such as a waste recovery centre and a food industry hub. City officials looked at different ways to keep the service running, including creating a new city company or hiring an experienced operator. They chose the second option and favour CDG’s parking arm, CG Park, which already runs parking in Rabat and Fez.
Under the plan, CDG would run existing car parks and earn revenue from them, while also helping pay for future projects. Because of public contract rules, the city will likely launch an international call for interest before making a final decision.
Casablanca has already spent about 1.5bn dirhams on underground car parks in areas such as Rachidi, Arab League Park and the city centre. Building one new underground car park costs about 250m dirhams.
More projects are planned, including new sites in the Al Fida district and a large project at the 6.5-hectare Marciano site in Ain Diab. That project is expected to include an underground car park for about 2,000 cars with a public square built on top.
City officials aim to improve management, secure funding and expand parking as demand keeps growing. The plan is part of wider efforts to modernise transport, including tramway expansion and new bus rapid transit lines. It also reflects a move towards digital payment systems and away from informal street parking attendants.
