BlaBlaCar has announced that it plans to acquire Klaxit, a smaller French startup. Klaxit is a carpooling service so that you don’t have to drive your car to work every day. BlaBlaCar has its own commuting service called BlaBlaCar Daily. Klaxit will complement this service after the acquisition closes.
BlaBlaCar is better known for its long-distance ridesharing service. The company matches empty car seats with passengers going in the same direction. It’s an alternative to trains or buses when you want to travel to another city for a vacation or if you want to visit your family.
Many people have also relied on BlaBlaCar for rides between smaller cities as there isn’t a train station in every small city. Over time, the company added other services, such as a bus marketplace with the acquisition of Ouibus and an online bus ticketing platform with the acquisition of Busfor.
In 2017, the company launched a new app and service called BlaBlaLines. This time, the company wanted to match drivers heading to work with other employees looking for a transportation method. The app was rebranded to BlaBlaCar Daily shortly after its launch.
But BlaBlaCar wasn’t the only company thinking about commutes. Other startups like Klaxit and Karos have also been working on similar services. That’s because daily commutes represent a significant portion of car rides. And yet, most people are alone in their car when they head to work.
Optimizing those rides is a good way to save money on daily commutes. It’s also better for the environment and Local governments love the idea as it improves traffic conditions.
There are several ways to monetize a service like that. End users can pay riders directly. Companies can contribute to the service as it can be considered as a benefit. Local governments can subsidize the services as carpooling to contribute to reducing road infrastructure budget.
Klaxit in particular has signed a ton of partnerships with local governments since its inception in 2012. More than 50 local governments and 350 companies have partnered with the platform to foster carpooling. In 2022, Klaxit facilitated 2.6 million rides on its platform.
BlaBlaCar says that it plans to merge BlaBlaCar Daily and Klaxit in 2024. While it will increase the user base, there’s still a long road ahead as there are more than 10 million people driving to work alone every day in France.