Residents in Tetouan are set to see new buses and digital ticketing systems after CTM Group secured a 10-year contract to manage the city’s public transport network.
The contract was awarded to Issal Tetouan, a subsidiary jointly operated by CTM and Transdev Morocco. The decision was approved by the Achamal Al Gharbi Intercommunal Cooperation Establishment, which oversees transport coordination across the wider Grand Tetouan area.
The agreement follows a provisional management phase that began in November 2023. During that period, the operator focused on stabilising services and maintaining daily transport links for residents.
Under the new contract, Issal Tetouan will gradually introduce 194 new buses across the network by the end of 2026. The fleet expansion is intended to improve service frequency, reliability and coverage across the city and surrounding districts.
The company has also rebranded its service from “Issal Madina” to Issal Tetouan, marking the shift from temporary operations to long-term management.
Issal Tetouan combines CTM’s local transport experience with the international urban mobility expertise of Transdev, a French public transport operator. The partnership plans to introduce integrated systems including GPS tracking, digital ticketing through Issal Tickets and fleet management software.
The Achamal Al Gharbi Intercommunal Cooperation Establishment was created to address transport needs across the “Grand Tetouan” region, which includes Tetouan, the coastal prefecture of M’diq-Fnideq and Fahs-Anjra.
The region faces sharp seasonal pressure on public transport. Its population of around 800,000 can double during the summer months as tourists arrive along the northern coast. Officials say the move from provisional management to a 10-year operating model is aimed at creating a more resilient transport system capable of handling those surges.
The new mandate includes performance targets covering fleet modernisation, accessibility for passengers with reduced mobility and the rollout of digital payment systems designed to reduce boarding times.
CTM, founded in 1919, has traditionally focused on intercity passenger and freight transport. The Tetouan deal strengthens the group’s push into urban mobility and gives it municipal bus operations in three major Moroccan cities: Fez, Tangier and Tetouan.
The company also operates maritime links across the Strait of Gibraltar through Africa Morocco Links, expanding its role in regional transport and logistics.
