French BlaBlaCar to tackle German bus market

Frankfurt am Main: French ride-sharing platform BlaBlaCar said on Friday it would launch long-distance bus services in Germany, taking on the near-monopoly in the hands of competitor Flixbus. The French firm plans to link up 60 cities in Germany and the Benelux countries with its BlaBlaBus lines, chief executive Nicolas Brusson told business daily Handelsblatt. “People want an alternative” to Flixbus, he said, which has nailed down an almost 95 per cent share of the German market according to Berlin-based consultancy IGES. Passengers could complete their journeys to destinations not served by the bus network using BlaBlaCar’s ride-sharing platform, Brusson added. BlaBlaCar’s bet on buses began last year when it took over Ouibus, the coach subsidiary of French state rail operator SNCF. Its first German lines could begin operation in a few months, depending on how smoothly talks go with local bus firms, Brusson said. — AFP