Police seizures of modified bikes trigger protests from Moroccan riders

Police seizures of modified bikes trigger protests from Moroccan riders
Tuesday 19 August 2025 - 23:19

A nationwide police campaign targeting motorcycles in Morocco has prompted a wave of online protests, with riders urging each other to “keep bikes at home” in symbolic defiance. 

Social media posts described the controls as “harsh,” arguing that motorcycles play an important economic role through fuel consumption, insurance, and taxes.

Riders also criticized the lack of oversight on imported motorcycles with modified engines, often sold without buyers’ knowledge. 

Mustapha Hajji, president of the Moroccan Federation of Road Safety Associations, defended the crackdown as essential to addressing unsafe behaviors. 

He told Hespress that some importers modify engines after customs clearance, leaving citizens exposed to safety risks.

Hajji added that the campaign is only part of the solution, stressing the need to enforce licensing laws, including the ban on riders under 14. 

Meanwhile, the National Road Safety Agency introduced new measures: motorcycles exceeding 58 km/h are considered illegally modified, seized, and released only after legal re-certification.

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