PARIS (Reuters) – French car ride-sharing app Blablacar said on Monday it had wanted to buy Ouibus, a bus operator of state rail firm SNCF, within the first major departure through the digital enterprize model toward setting up a broader transport company.
Blablacar did not disclose financial terms but said it had also raised 101 million euros ($114 million) in funding from investors including SNCF, that could turn into a shareholder.
Blablacar’s bid for Ouibus puts the start-up in another league, growing well beyond its initial remit to fight different kinds of inter-city travel in France and Europe.
Ouibus, founded in 2012 by SNCF as being a low-cost, long-distance operator, is inside the procedure for expanding internationally.
Along with Blablacar and other car-sharing services, it thrived recently when rail strikes by SNCF drivers as well as other staff disrupted travel in France for a number of weeks.
Blablacar, which had been launched in 2006 as well as being now considered one of France’s fastest-growing start-ups, allows motorists to share with you the price of a trip with passengers. It’s been growing overseas, with Russia by way of example among major markets, along with its app has some Sixty five million users in 22 countries.
It has also started offering services like car leases in France through Societe Generale bank, an additional way it is actually nipping at traditional transport models.
The latest project would involve working jointly with SNCF, to ensure travelers booking over the rail operator may also be offered car-sharing or bus options.
“BlaBlaCar and SNCF share the ambition to develop shared mobility at scale whilst limiting the single-occupancy of vehicles,” the businesses said in a very statement.
(Reporting by Sarah White; Editing by Geert De Clercq)