The French carrier Blablacar announced its entry into the European bus business. From now on, BlaBlaBus will take over 19 stops within Germany. Green Flixbus buses will have to give up part of their income to the owner of the bright red buses. Aggressive pricing and marketing strategies could push competitors out of the passenger transportation market.
BlaBlaBus: a service for Germans
On its official website, the company set an attractive price – €0.99. This is the minimum fare for trips within Germany and Europe. However, this price applies only to simple trips starting from the end of September 2019.
Currently, BlaBlaBus operates only one route: Dresden-Berlin. Ticket prices start at €7.99. Compared to Flixbus prices, this figure still looks attractive. A Flixbus representative, Sebastian Meyer, doubts that BlaBlaBus will adapt to the German market. Even a price reduction by the competitor will not persuade Germans to switch to an foreign carrier.
Moreover, Flixbus operates 1700 routes in 27 countries worldwide. It transports 100,000 passengers daily. Over 90% of the passenger market in Germany belongs to the German brand. Clearly, the French company BlaBlaBus will have to work hard to gain even a small share.
Knowing how Germans are very protective of their products and brands, the French face serious challenges. It may take a couple of years of operating at a loss to attract customers to the green buses. Time will tell.
