The SNCF controllers’ strike leaves “
150,000 French people
” in the lurch.
They
“are not going to be able to go”
on vacation because
“they have not necessarily found solutions
,” regretted the boss of SNCF Voyageurs Christophe Fanichet Friday evening on BFMTV.
Of this number, many have resorted to alternative means of transport.
The car of course, but also the bus or carpooling.
“There is a doubling of demand for carpooling and buses”
following the SNCF strike, said the founding president of BlaBlaCar Frédéric Mazzella on Thursday on Franceinfo.
For BlaBlaCar's bus offer, the increase in reservations
"is particularly significant on the Paris - Rennes, Bordeaux, Lyon, Nantes, and Lille routes"
, observed the French platform on Wednesday.
She indicated on Friday that she intended to add
“around ten additional buses”
to
“cope with demand”
, particularly from Paris to Rennes, Toulouse and Marseille.
On Friday, there were still carpool spots left, she said.
“We had a peak in offers, carpooling proposals, (...) drivers who, out of a show of solidarity, offered their places
,” said Nicolas Michaux, spokesperson for BlaBlaCar, on Friday on Sud Radio.
Another bus operator in France, the German company FlixBus, makes the same observation.
“In terms of reservations, we are on an increase of between 15 and 20% over this weekend compared to what we expected for this period
,” assured Europe 1 its spokesperson, Charles Billiard, affirming that Many trips were already full.
Read also Controller strike: passengers are bearing the brunt of the numerous SNCF bugs
+39% searches for plane
However, this increase in demand does not come without an increase in prices.
To the great dismay of travelers, many of whom are complaining on social networks about the prices offered during this strike weekend.
“Out of curiosity, I looked at how BlaBlaCar prices had evolved to be able to return from Paris.
It’s between €40 and €50 per trip to travel in the back of a 208 or a C3 for 500 km….
yeah well no!”
, says one of them, for example.
On FlixBus, the cheapest journeys remaining for Paris-Lyon this weekend are offered at 60 euros.
Regarding these rising prices, FlixBus explained to
La Dépêche du Midi
that prices depended on demand and competition.
A competing mode of transport with the train, the plane is also benefiting from this weekend's SNCF strike.
There was thus a 39% increase in searches for the plane on the Liligo comparator, its spokesperson Guillaume Rostand said on BFMTV on Friday.
For journeys between Paris and Lyon, some travelers have turned to SNCF's competitor on the rails, the Italian company Trenitalia.
Its Spanish rival Renfe, also present in France, could also benefit from it.