The urban upgrading project of Essaouira has succeeded in giving a makeover to a large part of the city which was, three years earlier, in a state of unbearable degradation in terms of roads, paving, public lighting, and green spaces.

A 2018 vision shared between different actors in order to develop and equip the seaside resort of the Marrakech-Tensift-El Haouz region with modern infrastructure. 300 million dirhams will thus be released for the creation of an urban hub, the upgrading of basic infrastructure, the enhancement of the urban landscape of Essaouira, the valorisation of cultural and architectural heritage, and the socio-economic development of the city. The old Medina and 12 districts located in the west of the city are not left out of this major project which provides for the investment of 15 million dirhams for the development of green spaces, the limitation of urban sprawl, and the protection of the ecosystem. Finally, 12.5 million dirhams will be devoted to the implementation of the infrastructure required for the protection of the city against floods.

Certainly, compared to the previous problematic observation, the situation has clearly improved. But what about the expected state and the planned execution schedule? Should the competent services consider themselves satisfied in terms of compliance with quality standards?

Unfortunately, several anomalies since the start of the work still persist. Thus violating the specifications and defying public opinion which, from now on, demands more rigour in terms of monitoring by the competent services.

"As you can see, this alley in the Azlef district has benefited from the redevelopment of the roads and paving. By checking the work done, one can easily see that things have been done halfway and without respect for quality standards. The pavement has not been completely changed nor adapted to the level of the road, the paving has been laid on one side and forgotten on the other, the drains are above the level of the roads! Should we consider ourselves satisfied with the work done? Does the initial project provide for this type of unfinished work? The services in charge of monitoring must fully assume their responsibility, because the current situation remains below the hoped-for state," declared a resident of the Azlef district.

Same observation in several districts of the East zone, considered as redeveloped, but which still need finalisation in terms of pavements, drains, paving, and green spaces.

Worse still, some drains currently represent a real danger for children and road users. They are even the subject of DIY fixes that arouse the mockery of the residents.

"This drain located at the entrance to this alley in the lagoon district has been open for two years now. To warn residents and road users of this public danger, we fix a tree branch to it every time. But is this how we solve these kinds of problems? It's ridiculous especially when it has been going on for several years," indignantly says a resident of the district. Another scandalous aspect seriously affects the image of the work carried out: the roundabouts were designed and placed without any harmony or logic in terms of dimensions and use. During a meeting with a security official, he assured us that his services were not consulted before the design and development of the roundabouts.

We remember the famous oval roundabout curiously and uselessly laid out in front of the administrative district square two years ago. It had caused several serious night-time accidents before being dismantled. The one built near the bus station solved several problems, but it still lacks finishing, lighting, and signage.

"We really appreciated the idea of developing green spaces in the heart of the roundabouts. Unfortunately, this work was delayed with the departure of the former governor who paid very particular attention to green spaces. Currently, we have three roundabouts that need to be given a makeover to integrate them into the urban landscape. But green spaces are no longer a priority for the competent services for some time...", regrets an associative actor.

On the other hand, we are witnessing the degradation of roads in several districts and passages of the city, and even near the headquarters of the Essaouira province.

"We cannot eternally put forward the argument of the geological specificities of the city. We all know that the fragility of the soil represents a negative factor for the city's infrastructure, but we must find a sustainable solution. What is the point of paying several tens of thousands of dirhams to design offices if we have to be confronted every time with this problem which is, however, far from being a fatality?", asks an entrepreneur from the city.

The sequencing of the work also leaves something to be desired. Normally, one should carry out underground installations, then move on to roads and paving. Something that has not been respected in several areas where the roads and paving have been redone several times because of the non-respect of this logic, namely the sequencing of the development work.

Besides these regrettable aspects, we notice a serious lack of care in terms of the finishing of the work. We have the impression that those responsible are content with the essential without paying great attention to the details. However, anti-ecological practices still persist because of the accumulation of rubble in several points of the city, as is currently the case for the corner of the old CFI. An uncivil and irresponsible behaviour that multiplies black spots in front of the indifference of those responsible.

The project will end by 2018. The essential will be achieved, but under what conditions? This is the question that challenges the services in charge of the file so that they assume their full responsibility in terms of monitoring the work.

Finally, there is a great responsibility for appropriation and preservation of the achievements that falls to the inhabitants. Yet, we witness daily acts of vandalism undermining the 2018 vision which aims to make Mogador a modern city.