There is water in the exhaust gases between the carpooling apps and Ile-de-France Mobilités (IDFM). Since 2016, the organizing authority for transport in the region has supported apps that link drivers and passengers on home-work journeys through various grants.
Via apps like Karos, BlablaLines or Klaxit, you can benefit from almost free transport in the car of a colleague or neighbor who is traveling the same way as you. This is paid for the transportation of passengers via the app, itself subsidized by IDFM.
But from this Wednesday, it's over. At least that's what BlaBlaLines and Karos say in an email to their customers. “From July 15, financial support for carpooling in the Île-de-France region will unfortunately end, pending an agreement between Île-de-France Mobilités and carpooling operators. This means that carpooling will no longer be subsidized: the passenger will pay the entire amount paid to the driver, ”says Karos.
Same story with BlaBlaLines, which sent its email almost simultaneously and in almost identical terms. The two services say they are "sad to inform you of the pausing of this funding for journeys, which made carpooling even easier, integrated into the Navigo offer". The two indicate, however, that they are working with IDFM so that carpooling is once again included in the Navigo offer.
"Inaccurate and incomprehensible"
At IDFM, it's misunderstanding. "We are extremely surprised by the comments made by carpooling operators to their customers," it says. IDFM never intended to end this aid and on the contrary we have just extended the measures in place (decision of July 8) and this for a period of two years in order to allow companies to have visibility over time ”.
IDFM claims to go "to the maximum of what can be done under the regulations" for support for carpooling. "In addition to being inaccurate, the discourse of companies is therefore completely incomprehensible," insists one at IDFM.
In fact, the system set up with five operators (BlaBlaLines, Karos, Klaxit, OUiHop and Covoit'Ici) effectively stopped on June 30. But a new convention was proposed, and adopted by the IDFM elected officials, this Wednesday, July 8. It provides drivers with compensation of € 1.50 per passenger up to 15 km, then € 0.10 per km beyond, up to a ceiling of € 3 per passenger. And, for passengers, free journey for Navigo subscribers (two journeys maximum per day). Subsidies will be more advantageous (free of charge) during peaks of pollution and days of strike).
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It seems that this new agreement did not convince BlaBlaLines and Karos. IDFM has nevertheless budgeted 6 million euros in aid in two years. The transport authority says it is still convinced by the carpooling solution, to fight against pollution, traffic jams and congestion in public transport.
Record thanks to strike but fragile dynamics
Between May 2019 and May 2020, 1.2 million carpooling trips were recorded in Ile-de-France. The number of trips tripled between May and November 2019, reaching 90,000 per month. Then the records were reached with the RATP strike in December (21,085 trips on December 17, 290,000 in January).
"The critical mass is starting to build up and it is becoming easier and quicker to find a carpool crew in Ile-de-France", we note at IDFM, which wants to "continue efforts" to support this dynamic "which remains fragile".
"The discussion is underway to find an agreement that would satisfy both IDFM and the various carpooling players active in Ile-de-France," is it enough to indicate at BlablaLines.
"We want to perpetuate carpooling by finding an economic model with IDFM, reacts Olivier Binet, boss of Karos. For that, it is necessary to leave the experimentation. The system has proven itself. We are having a constructive discussion with IDFM, I am sure we will get there. "
