National Express drives into Casablanca

National Express will start running more coaches in Morocco than the UK next year as it signed a £860m multi-year contract to run the bus service in Casablanca.

The bus operator’s Spanish and Moroccan division, ALSA, said it will provide around 700 buses, a new payment system, and scheduling in the country’s largest city and economic capital. The contract runs for 15 years, the company said.

Chief executive Dean Finch said that National Express’s reputation had allowed it to win the contract to supply Casablanca, and another contract in Boston in the US last week.

The firm has already started running 400 buses in the Moroccan capital Rabat in August.

“This nearly doubles our presence in Morocco, which had already doubled in August with Rabat’s successful start-up. We will now operate more buses in Morocco than the UK. We look forward to serving the people of Casablanca soon,” he said.