Moroccans look forward to a shorter commute when the new tramway opens next year.

Engineers of Morocco's long awaited Sale-Rabat tramway began conducting test runs for the trains Tuesday (March 30th).

Morocco's first-ever tramway will be up and running by January 2011, said Essakel Mghari, of the Bouregreg Valley development agency, during a March 30th press conference. The agency oversees the construction of the 3.8 billion dirham project, which took three years to build.

The first tram from France arrived in Morocco March 13th. Test runs will begin in the neighbourhood of Karima in Sale to ensure trains are compatible with the mobile machinery and land lines. Tests will also be conducted on the starting, braking and speed systems.

"The phase that started today is a testing phase that will keep going until the end of this year," said Mghari. "During this time, we will examine the infrastructure, as well as the train...in order to ensure the safety of the equipment."

Each tram is equipped with 118 seats and can carry up to 580 passengers per trip. They will carry an estimated 180,000 passengers between Rabat and Sale each day. The remainder of the trams will be shipped by the end of 2010.

Moroccans are eager to ride the new transport link when it opens.

"The project will reduce the time needed to move between the two cities in complete comfort," Karim, a student, told Magharebia. "Moreover, it is eco-friendly since it runs on electricity."

Aliae Bidoui, 20, is a Sale student who attends Souissi University in Rabat. She said the tram will bring a welcome change to her arduous commute.

"I lose no end of time on my journey. It takes me an average of three hours a day for the round trip, and that's without including the wait for the four buses I have to catch. I think the tram, which will just reach the university neighbourhood, will resolve the problem. And I'll be able to keep on with my studies," she told Magharebia.

Ticket prices on the new tram concern some potential riders, however.

Tickets will cost between 6.50 and 7 dirhams each, Rabat-Sale Tramway Company director Loubna Boutaleb said. The price is currently less than the 8 dirhams currently needed to journey from Sale to Rabat, she said.

The fare has been designed to meet two major constraints - affordability for users and the financial needs of the tramway required to function, Boutaleb said at a March 30th press conference.

"It's good that we'll have the train. But it still needs to be within the reach of the majority of the population," said Ahmed Garouji, a Sale commuter who works in Rabat.

"Since the price is too high, I prefer to continue riding my motorcycle - it's more comfortable, faster and especially cheaper," one internet-based critic wrote online.

Other potential riders are concerned about how drivers will adapt to the new railway system.

"Some reckless drivers using the same route as the tram will definitely cause problems," Karima resident Ahmed told Magharebia. "There should be a solution to this."

Boutaleb promised future riders that an awareness campaign will be launched to encourage drivers to "adapt to the new situation".

Source: By Naoufel Cherkaoui and Siham Ali for Magharebia in Rabat