As in many cities around the world, the traffic in Casablanca is a frustrating issue. Since 2001, the number of vehicles circulating in the economic capital of Morocco has more than tripled, from 400,000 to 1,500,000. As a result, the city is verging towards asphyxia. Recognizing this unfortunate turn of events, Mohamed Mrani Alaoui had the idea to create a car sharing company – a concept he discovered during his time in San Francisco, where he studied finance.

Launched in 2015, Carmine was primarily aimed at young workers who can’t afford to buy a vehicle; however, its services are also suitable for small companies, families and people who only need a vehicle intermittently. A subscription-based system, users can book their vehicle through a computer or a phone, which gives them 24-hour access to a fleet of self-service vehicles located at strategic points around the city. Each Carmine customer has a magnetic card to access the car, with gas and insurance included in the price.

In Morocco, Mohammed Mrani Alaoui is pioneering this new way to use cars, and he claims that concept that goes beyond just car sharing:

Indeed, in 2013, studies conducted under the supervision of the Agence de l’Environnement et de la Maîtrise de l’Energie (ADEME) showed that one shared car effectively replaces nine individual cars. Therefore, the car sharing system both reduces the CO2 emissions, and frees up urban space by decongesting traffic.

Financed with equity and by a leasing formula to build up its car fleet, Carmine today is a small start-up which employs three people. Nevertheless, the company has huge ambitions: “We are currently speaking with investors to raise money in order to accelerate the development of the project. Our goal is to reach a total of 300 vehicles before the end of 2017, including 20 percent of electric cars.” The explosion of the car sharing market, which is predicted to reach 30 million users worldwide by 2020, provides the young Moroccan entrepreneur with comfort in his adventurous plans.