Their popularity can"t be debated here in Essaouira. Since the small hours of the morning, we have watched drivers demisting windscreens with filthy wads of old newspaper, oil-covered mechanics coaxing weary engines back to life and long-distance travellers huddling in small groups, waiting for a ride. They are all eager to get on the road early and escape the unrelenting heat of the day, which makes sitting in a cramped vehicle – with up to six passengers, luggage and driver – absolutely unbearable.