BlaBlaCar has announced this it intends to acquire Klaxit, a smaller French startup. Klaxit is a carpool service so you don’t have to go to work by car every day. BlaBlaCar has its own commuter service called BlaBlaCar Daily. Klaxit will supplement this service after the acquisition is completed.
BlaBlaCar is better known for its long distance ride sharing service. The company matches empty car seats with passengers going in the same direction. It is an alternative to trains or buses if you want to travel to another city for a vacation or visit your family.
Many people also rely on BlaBlaCar for trips between smaller towns, as not every small town has a train station. Over time, the company added other services such as a bus marketplace with the acquisition of Ouibus and an online bus ticket sales 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 on their way to work with other employees looking for a means of transportation. The app was renamed BlaBlaCar Daily shortly after its launch.
But BlaBlaCar wasn’t the only company thinking about commuting. Other startups like Klaxit and Karos have also been working on similar services. That’s because daily commutes account for a significant portion of car trips. And yet most people are alone in their car when they go to work.
Optimizing those trips is a good way to save money on the daily commute. It’s also better for the environment and local governments love the idea because it improves traffic conditions.
There are several ways to earn money with such a service. End users can pay riders directly. Businesses can contribute to the service as this can be considered a benefit. Local governments can subsidize the services as carpooling to help reduce the road infrastructure budget.
Klaxit in particular has established a large number of partnerships with local governments since it was founded in 2012. More than 50 local governments and 350 companies have partnered with the platform to encourage carpooling. In 2022, Klaxit facilitated 2.6 million rides on its platform.
BlaBlaCar says it plans to merge BlaBlaCar Daily and Klaxit in 2024. While it will increase the user base, there is still a long way to go, as more than 10 million people drive to work alone every day in France.
