I think the locals must have thought it a bit odd to stop traffic to help a tortoise cross the road... it would be like seeing a rabbit on the road in the UK.
I spoke to the owner of the B&B we stayed at and apparently they are very common - so I guess the CITES and other legal protections do a good job.
I didn't see any tortoises or tortoise shell items for sale even in the local Berber markets which was good to see.