Near-fatal accident at the Rabat-Agdal train station: Morocco prepares for its World Cup in 2030
‘You have disfigured the country’
Part of the slogan carried by the youths of Sidi Kacem was the subject of a newspaper column
On Friday 10 May 2024, I nearly had a fatal accident. I am talking about it today to prevent others from suffering the same and to urge big business to take certain measures. What exactly is it about? As the title indicates, it is about the National Railway Office (ONCF).
I live in Rabat, and on Friday 10 May, I wanted to go to Tangiers. I make this journey quite often. In the morning, at 10 o'clock sharp, I rushed to the Rabat-Agdal train station. I took the escalator and, on the third step, the incident occurred. Fortunately, the blows did not affect my head. I broke my nose and had cuts all over my body.
It was a warning. But it must be said that all the teams were prepared for this kind of accident. There must be a ‘dozen’ accidents of this kind every day. The security officers, the ONCF officials, the emergency services knew their roles perfectly. Fortunately.
When I say that all the teams knew their roles, it is at this level that I have a few observations. First, the ONCF rescuers, the first responders, have rudimentary means. They need to be accompanied by a real doctor to assess the patient's condition and, above all, by a psychologist, because sometimes it is fear rather than injury that is dangerous.
Some will say it is like in Sweden. But when you think that almost 150,000 people pass through Rabat-Agdal station every day, and that the ONCF is one of the big national public companies, you can imagine that anything is possible. For your information, the largest train station is Shanghai, which receives 600,000 passengers per day.
I was dismayed that the escalator resumed operation in less than two minutes. The cleaning ladies were called in to clean up ‘my abundant’ blood and the escalator was back in operation as if nothing had happened. However, it is a real crime scene. And only the examining magistrate can decide to clean up that scene.
According to the preamble of the 2011 Constitution of Morocco, we are all equal before the law, whether we are simple citizens, public bodies or private companies. The same law applies to all; article 6, paragraph 2 ("The law is the supreme expression of the will of the Nation. All, natural or legal persons, including the public authorities, are equal before it and are subject to it"), is clear on this point.
Suppose someone pushes another person, either as a joke or on purpose, the scene of the crime is the exclusive competence of the judicial police under the responsibility of the examining magistrate.
Certainly, the ONCF has sophisticated cameras, but once I was given first aid at the scene, they called 15 to move to the emergency room of the Avicenna hospital in Rabat. Once outside, a policeman pointed out my accident, informing his administration of my identity and my ticket.
The firemen from 15, the young interveners, did their job properly and took me to the emergency room of the Avicenna hospital. I am 66 years old and I had never had to go to the emergency room before. The latter were full, but because of my condition (I had blood everywhere), the citizens and the security officers made things easier for me. I am not talking about this public service or the public health sector, left behind by the authorities.
Once my family arrived on the scene and saw my condition, they decided to move to another place. If I write these lines, it is because I can do so now that I am partially recovered. I saw a medical psychologist for the first time in my life because some questions constantly come to me in the form of: why me, what if I had taken the lift, what if I had...?
Among the questions that often arise is the fact that luggage trolleys are almost non-existent. They must be available at the exit of small blue taxis, as in large shopping centres. Some trolleys do exist, but they are monopolised by a few carriers. You have to have their telephone numbers and sometimes wait a long time before they arrive. It is the same in Rabat-Agdal and Tangier stations. The ONCF is a large public company; it should have hundreds of carriages for free use, or else delegate this task to a company.
Let's talk now about the major events awaiting Morocco, in particular the World Cup in 2030. I will be 72 years old and I don't know if I will be in this world or not. Morocco is preparing at all levels. I hope that Moroccans and foreigners will enjoy the football and the spectacle, and that no one will find themselves in my situation. To this end, the ONCF, as well as telecommunications, highways and aviation, are being prepared as of now. All the infrastructures are necessary and great for the success of this event.
Everything possible must be done to prevent the slogan carried by the young people of Sidi Kacem, which was the subject of a column in a Moroccan newspaper on Sunday 31 May 2024, under the title ‘You have disfigured the country’, from becoming a reality in 2030, as is the case today.
To the wise..., greetings.