Keolis lands new 6.5-year contract to operate Cap’Bus transport network

Keolis has had its contract to manage the Cap’Bus transport network renewed by the Communauté d’Agglomération Hérault Méditerranée (CAHM) for a duration of six-and-a-half years. This new contract, effective from 1 March 2025, will generate annual turnover of €3.5 million.

Since 2020, Keolis Agde has been responsible for managing all Cap’Bus network operations on behalf of CAHM, with its services covering urban line operations, ticket sales, network promotion, and passenger information. The network operates a fleet of 19 vehicles, offering five bus routes (seven in summer) and an on-demand transport service, with a total of 760,000 km covered each year.

Serving 20 municipalities, including Agde and Pézenas, Cap’Bus records nearly 675,000 trips per year. During the summer season, over 350,000 passengers benefit from this essential service. Since the launch of a new transport service offer in 2021, Cap’Bus has experienced continuous commercial growth, with ridership increasing by more than 60%.

A renewed ambition to build even more sustainable mobility

Over the next six-and-a-half years, Keolis will provide sustainable, innovative, and flexible mobility tailored to the seasonality of the CAHM region, to meet the travel needs of its 82,000 residents, a figure that rises to 450,000 in the summer.

The new contract will see the launch of several key innovations, including:

• 24/7 summer transport service, a first for a seaside resort in France,

• An enhanced and better-connected offer, liaising with multimodal hubs,

• An open payment system, for easier on-board ticket purchasing,

• Improved on-demand transport, with bookings possible up to two hours before departure to encourage usage,

• A stronger commitment to the energy transition, shifting from B100 biofuel (used since 2020) to 100% HVO[1],

• An environmental programme, "Cap à l’ombre", to green bus stops by planting 40 trees a year and thus offering passengers a more comfortable kerbside wait.

A new visual identity for the network will reflect this fresh momentum. Through these initiatives, Keolis Agde reaffirms its commitment alongside CAHM and its ambition to provide residents and visitors with varied, sustainable and tailored mobility solutions.

[1] HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil) is a second-generation biofuel produced predominantly from vegetable oil and waste.