National Express wins new Morocco contract

Transport operator National Express Group said it had won an up to 15-year Moroccan bus contract forecast to generate €1bn in revenues over the term.

The company on Wednesday said the contract to operate an initial 400 buses in Casablanca would double its presence in the country.

It added that the initial 10 year deal, which has a five year extension option, would start in November 2019 with service eventually increasing to 700 buses, carrying an expected 100m passengers a year.

“As in other Moroccan cities, there is opportunity for further growth in other local Casablanca transport markets, such as school buses and tourist services,” National Express said in a statement.

The contract was expected to make a small contribution to earnings this year and next due to its start late in the year and start-up costs.