100 million passengers: A look at the Cars Macron of the breakdowns!

100 million passengers: A look at the Cars Macron of the breakdowns!

The long -distance buses in Europe celebrate a considerable anniversary: ​​over 100 million passengers have made use of this transport form since the introduction of the “Cars Macron” in 2015. This impressive number not only represents the success of the concept, but also shows how the travel behavior of people has changed. The French company, which benefited from the liberalization of the market in 2015, has become more important by providers such as Flixbus and Blablacar. According to BFMTV In 2022, 11.1 million passengers used these buses, which corresponds to an annual increase of 14 %.

What happens when a service quality remains behind the expectations? The backbone of this company is strong, but it can also be seen that the bad conditions at many bus stations such as Paris-Bercy and Lille Europe could affect the attractiveness of the long-distance buses. Travelers complain about missing gastronomic offers and WiFi, which makes the stay at these stations a little inviting experience. A report therefore warns that without improvements in the station infrastructure, which are planned by 2024, interest in long -distance bus trips could decrease.

market overview and challenges

The transport connection in Europe is characterized by a growing network of long -distance bus connections. Over 1,500 routes fit into the entire transport network, and the average price for one trip is only 6 euros per 100 kilometers. This is a real bargain and also not surprising that 17 % of the long-distance bus tickets buyers have made it possible for the trips that may otherwise have to fall back on other means of transport.

When a look at punctuality, however, a different picture is. The situation has deteriorated since 2021. Almost a quarter of the bus journeys are delayed by more than 15 minutes, which the travelers are increasingly frustrated. It is particularly alarming that 57 % of the delays between 15 and 30 minutes are. The traffic conditions were further influenced by weather phenomena and social movements in 2024, which did not make the situation easier. Even compared to other means of transport such as the TGV trains, the numbers for the punctuality of the "Cars Macron" are significantly worse.

outlook for the future

The future, however, looks promising. The market for urban and long-distance buses, which has grown strongly in recent years, will probably include 83.92 thousand vehicles (Statista). The trend shows that fewer environmentally polluting means of transport are preferred and these developments could give the industry further upswing. Bus companies are increasingly using digital solutions to simplify the booking process, which could further increase the attractiveness of this transport form.

The combination of inexpensive prices, a growing network and technological progress shows that long -distance bus trips in Europe will continue to be very popular in the future. Flixbus and Blablacar have dominated the field of long -distance bus connections in this context and could continue to gain in importance through sustainable innovations.

The coming years will show whether the concerns about the quality of service at the stops will be taken seriously and whether the necessary investments in the infrastructure will be made to fully exploit the potential of the long -distance buses.