Strike: What are the effects in terms of a shift toward other modes of transportation?

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By Célia Foulon – Consultant

It has been over a month since the social movement began, particularly in the transportation sector (including rail, urban public transit, and air travel). As a result, travel for the French public has been disrupted, both for daily commutes (short distances) and for longer-distance trips, such as travel during the Christmas holidays. So, to get around anyway, people had to get creative. For many, this was an opportunity to try out other transportation options.

For the long-distance trips, The French opted for buses, car rentals, and carpooling, while rail and air travel have seen a decline in activity:

• As for buses, FlixBus, for example, has seen a 50% increase in bookings on major routes compared to last year ^[1]. ;
• In terms of car rentals, Europcar has also seen an increase in Christmas holiday reservations compared to last year, particularly for family cars ^[2]. Getaround (formerly Drivy: a platform that connects private car owners with people looking to rent a car) has also seen a 50- to 60% increase in bookings on its platform ^[3]. Getaround notes that the number of users has risen sharply—including among vehicle owners—in a show of solidarity with people whose trains were canceled;
• With so many people cutting back on road travel, it’s no surprise that BlaBlaCar also benefited from the social movement and saw a sharp increase in its number of users.

While for long distances, the train remains the lowest-carbon alternative to driving or flying, Reducing car traffic and the rate of private car ownership are, after all, key challenges in decarbonizing transportation. So, if carpooling and carsharing have managed to attract new users on a long-term basis, that can only be good news! Fordaily commutes such as commutes to and from work; the effects of modal shift were clearly evident there as well: “ The French are rediscoveringcycling, walking, and all forms of new mobility "According to Florence Leveel, CEO of Mappy" ^[4] which also noted “a 100% increase in views of our apps in the Paris region.” Europcar, for its part, noted that some people had rented vehicles to go corporate carpooling : The rental cost is then split among the 4 or 5 passengers who are traveling together to work. This carpooling not only saves money but also reduces the number of vehicles on the road, thereby alleviating the frequent traffic jams during rush hour. When it comes to active transportation, pedestrians aren’t left out, with In Paris, more than 30% of the routes searched for on Mappy are walking routes^[4].

The use of bicycles and electric scooters—whether through bike-sharing programs or not—has also skyrocketed. Still in Paris, bike lanes are packed, and bike shops are sold out. Will these shifts in transportation modes last? In the article by Aurélien Bigo that we shared ^[5], the Ph.D. student at École Polytechnique shares the hope of aincrease in cycling even after the strikes, given that many people have invested in equipment and have had the opportunity to try out a new mode of transportation. As Quentin Lestavel, CEO of Getaround, explains ^[3], The hardest part is getting everyone to try alternative modes of transportation for the first time. Once people have tried it, many psychological barriers come down. It then becomes much easier for them to consider using alternative modes of transportation—such as biking, car-sharing, or carpooling—in the future. In any case, we’re eagerly awaiting the end of the strike to see if this trend holds up!

Sources: ^[1]FlixBus on Europe 1^[2]Europcar on Europe 1^[3]Getaround on Europe 1^[4]Mappy on Europe 1^[5]Le Journal du Dimanche