Carpooling: the alternative solution to train disruptions and lack of evening service in Monaco?
The Principality is banking on a wide range of transport options to relieve congestion in Monaco © BlaBlaCar via Rea / Eric Tschaen
The Prince’s Government has already recorded 116,000 carpool journeys in Monaco and has invested over €326,000 in 2024.
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What if carpooling was the solution to the many train problems? At a time when travel is becoming increasingly difficult in Monaco, car-pooling offers a welcome alternative to trains.
Although the Prince’s Government has held a series of meetings with SNCF Réseau and the PACA Region over the last few days to make up for the suspension of train services between Nice and Ventimiglia after 9 pm, a long-term solution has yet to be found.
Two meetings have already taken place on Friday 13 and Monday 16 September with railway stakeholders and the Government only managed to obtain an arrangement for the works scheduled this past weekend. Monday’s meeting secured the train service for this Thursday to ease transport for the Champions League match between AS Monaco and FC Barcelona in the Principality.
A further meeting is scheduled for Friday afternoon to continue talks and study the “alternative works scenarios” that SNCF Réseau has agreed to consider.
Carpooling, an alternative to trains?
Coincidentally, a conference on mobility and car-sharing was held on September 17, attended by Céline Caron-Dagioni, Minister for Public Works, the Environment and Urban Development, Julien Dejanovic, Director of Digital Services, and Adrien Tahon, Managing Director of BlaBlaCar Daily.
The conference was organised by the Mission for Energy Transition in collaboration with Blablacar Daily © Monaco Tribune / Théo Briand
Initially called Klaxit, the carpooling application for commuter journeys was acquired by Blablacar Daily in 2023. Different name, same concept.
No cost to travellers
A strong argument: carpooling costs passengers nothing. The government covers the journey for the passenger and compensates the driver by between €1.50 and €3 per journey. To take advantage of this, all you need to do is arrive in or leave from the Principality. If you’re unlucky and there are no carpoolers available, the Principality will compensate passengers with a taxi ride home.
It’s a significant investment – the Principality spent €326,000 in early 2024 alone – but worthwhile. Because it works! 116,000 trips have been arranged through the app this year alone and the aim is to cut down on the 92,000 vehicles that cross the border every day.
A threefold objective
Céline Caron-Dagioni’s aim with this strategy, combined with the “development of soft transport” , is to reduce pollution and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, make the “city more peaceful” and also foster social interactions. As the Minister for Public Works, the Environment and Urban Development reminds us, it’s also “a social connection and an excellent opportunity for discussion.”
Since the transfer of users from Klaxit to Blablacar Daily has gone smoothly, Adrien Tahon, Managing Director of BlaBlaCar Daily, has announced that the application should become even more flexible in the future, with the possibility of choosing a specific route and drop-off points.