Improving Road Safety
in the OIC Member States
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Projects are contracted and sometimes experts are hired in. All regional offices of the DTRSR are
connected to the central database. Modifications carried out by the regional offices are
processed real time and on-line. How the registration system is organized (in one centre, which
also supports the applications at the prefectures) was not investigated.
Organisation of International activities
In addition to what is mentioned earlier, METL is responsible for all international aspects related
to vehicles and driving licences. The Ministry consults other ministries, especially the Ministry
of Internal Affairs, with regard to issues relating to vehicle registration and driving licences
crime. Morocco is not a contacting partner of WP29 (Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations) of
the ECE. Morocco is considering participation because its legislation is to a large extent based
on WP29 of the ECE.
Vehicle approval
Policy, supervision and legislation concerning both type approvals and other technical
inspections of vehicles are the responsibility of the METL (DTRSR) and is delegated to Centres
Immatriculateurs and CNEH.
Vehicle approvals are conducted by the CNEH. The legal basis is the code de la route 52-05. The
vehicle regulations are based on ECE regulation from WP29. Also standards like the American
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) and the CanadaMotor Vehicle Safety Standards
(CMVSS) are accepted. New vehicles with a European Type Approval are admitted in Morocco
without further testing. Individual vehicles undergo an administrative test (Certificate of
Conformity) and masses and dimensions are checked. Imported vehicles may not be older than
five years (date of first registration) with one exception per lifetime. That is when a Moroccan
citizen older than 60 years resettles in Morocco in which case they may, for that one instance,
import a vehicle between 5 and 10 years old. Morocco does not have a facility for crash testing
and issuing type approvals of new vehicles.
Licensing
The administrative activities for licensing vehicles are the responsibility of DTRSR and the
centres immatriculateurs. Each centre immatriculateur has a direct online connection to the
central vehicle registration, which is held by the DTRSR.
The licensing system is vehicle and department based. Change of vehicle ownership cannot be
registered unless there is a valid PTI and outstanding fines on the vehicle are paid. DTRSR keeps
up the administration of these fines (Bureaux de Opposition). When a vehicle owner moves from
one region to another, the vehicle is relocated to another region, but retains the same license
number and number plates. The owner must register the vehicle at the DTRSR in the new region.
Vehicle owners are required to report their personal details (name and address) and any
changes to the centre d’immatriculation. Omissions and abuses are subject to strict sanctions,
such as high fines and imprisonment.