Several projects were launched at the beginning of the week in Laayoune by Aziz Rabbah, the Minister of Equipment and Transport.

Mr. Rabbah began his activities in the company of Khalil Dakhil, the Wali of the Laayoune-Boujdour-Sakia El Hamra region, by giving the starting signal for the free technical inspection operation of vehicles, organised by the Association "Network of unity and communication of road safety associations of the Sahara" and the Dekra network of technical inspection centres. He also supervised the launch of the mini-educational platform built in Laayoune within the framework of a partnership between the National Committee for the Prevention of Traffic Accidents (CNPAC) and the municipal council of the city of Laayoune, for a cost of 4.4 million dirhams.

During this visit, the minister inaugurated the vehicle registration centre and the circuit dedicated to the practical driving test for a cost of 11 million dirhams, in concretisation of the ministry's strategy which aims to modernise vehicle registration centres and improve driving licence examinations.

The same day at the Tah centre in the province of Tarfaya, Mr. Rabbah gave the starting signal for the widening and strengthening works of national road No. 1 over 25 km between kilometre points 1424 and 1449, at an estimated cost of 26.782 million dirhams. Then, in the rural commune of Akhfennir, the minister supervised the inauguration of the project for the widening and strengthening of national road No. 1 between kilometre points 1340 km and 1375 over 35 km, with a budget of 40.197 million dirhams.

These two projects are part of the maintenance of national road No. 1 and the improvement of its level of service and safety. This road being the only axis to ensure exchanges with the southern regions of the Kingdom as well as the Sahel-Saharan States.

Finally, in the city of Tarfaya, the minister inquired about the progress of the work of the first phase of the port extension, which concerns the construction of protection structures over a length of 1,144 metres, a 200-metre quay for the reception of cruise ships and 1.5 hectares of embankments, as well as dredging work for the deepening of the port basin. The estimated cost of this project is 477 million dirhams.