Monday 21 April, BlaBlaCar announced the closure of its bus transport business in France and across Europe by the end of 2026, due to a lack of profitability. This project addresses the structural economic difficulties that BlaBlaCar is experiencing in this activity., the company justified in a statement. The increase in the price of diesel due to conflict in Iran increased costs and accelerated this radical decision, even though the offering aims to be low-cost in its pricing.
Transporting some 6 million passengers per year, Blablacar Bus currently serves 300 cities in around fifteen European countries, including Italy, Great Britain, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany... The Organisation of European Road Carriers (OTRE) was immediately alarmed by this announcement. brutal reminding that Blablacar Bus transports millions of passengers every year and that its buses boast a high occupancy rate. And the ORTE stressed the investments made by the carriers working for Blablacar through the acquisition of buses and the recruitment of drivers to operate the routes. This decision, both sudden and unexpected, could, if confirmed, lead to major consequences, particularly for the sixty-odd hauliers operating routes on behalf of BlaBlaCar Bus. », adds the OTRE in a statement. Around forty jobs will also be cut directly within Blablacar.
An activity born from the takeover of Ouibus from SNCF
This car-sharing company had diversified into this segment following the acquisition of Ouibus, which was sold by SNCF in 2019 because it was already loss-making at the time. The national railway company had indeed launched in 2015 in this long-distance bus travel market as part of the liberalisation of the French market for freely organised services (SLO), but also and above all to counter this new competition to its trains in general and its Ouigo services in particular. Its low-cost TGV brand was then in full development in France.
Even today, Blablacar highlights fares up to 60% cheaper than the train. And above all, a particularly decentralised network with 70% of its routes not passing through Paris. Blablacar Bus has thus initially appealed to young people and students – 2/3 of passengers being under 35 – as well as families and retirees looking for attractive fares. Its main routes are Lille-Paris, Grenoble-Lyon and Lyon-Paris. Following the closure of its routes, German group Flixbux will in fact find itself in a monopolistic situation in France.
