Morocco Merc taxi scrappage

[lisbon_road]

Seems that there are 55,000 old Merc taxis in Morocco and the government wants to scrap them in favour of new cars.  They're on Youtube here:

 

 

A few more details:

 

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/forums/africa/Morocco/demise-of-iconic-240d-mercedes-grand-taxis?page=1

 

All sounds highly suspect to me, someone wants to run their car factory for a while no doubt.  Mind you 50K old diesels would indeed make some smog I suppose.

 

(Incidentally, does anyone else hate that 'scrapage' word?  Is it is a real word or not?  I think not as the spell check doesn't like it with one p or two)

[wuvvum]

When I was in Marrakesh most of the taxis there seemed to be 205s or Unos, all in ARB.  Are those included too I wonder, or is it just the W123s?

[explosive-cabbage]

Unfortunately I can see their point of view, even if I dislike it. 

 

Im sure the valve stem seals on the 984000KM Merc I was in in Morocco were propper buggered.

[oman5]

I think there is a Dacia factory there. They are probably drumming up some business for that.

[lisbon_road]

That is right,  They are planning to use locally made Dacias, if you read the articles.

 

They'll need maintenance too of course.  If the taxi has done 984K km, every chance it has been round already I suppose.

[oman5]

 I have a Moroccan mate in work who told me. you can apparently get incredibly cheap finance from the govt to buy a new dacia over there, he reckons they are everywhere. 

[Lord Sterling]

Shame this, sadly it's the begging of a change. Financially poor Arabs, (like me) are being badgered into buying new stuff. Arabs have mostly had a make and mend attitude for years and years but of course they will always jump at the chance of buying something new because the think it makes you 'look' successful. However, show most Arabs an old Merc vs a new Dacia and they'll probably mostly go for the old Merc.

 

I'm sure the Morrocan Government wil, put something in where Taxis cannot be older than a certain age or something equally stupid.

[castros_bro]

If their scrappage means removing the old diesel merc taxis from Moroccan roads but not tied into "one crushed in exchange for one new car"  then probably 90% of them will go South and East.   Senegal - The Gambia etc. will become their next homes.

[dugong]

Yes, because the same taxi drivers who crammed seven people into a five seat Mercedes wouldn't consider stuffing nine tourists into a seven seat Trafic. That would never happen.