The majority of people drive themselves wherever they need to go. They go to work, go home, go a few cities over for shopping, or to a variety of other places with multiple empty seats in their vehicle. Many others depend on public transportation such as buses or trains to get to their destinations. What happens when there are no seats on these methods of transportation? You cannot get on a bus or on a train to get to your important work meeting or family dinner—what could you do?
BlaBlaCar is a carpooling service that was born after a young man was stranded in a busy city during the holidays without any way to get on a train to go home for the holidays. In 2003, Fred Mazzella had to get home to his family via train; however, there were no seats available for purchase until after the holidays. After some desperate and frustrating moments, he decided to call his sister, who made a lengthy drive to pick him up and take him home. During the long drive home, he noticed all the empty seats that were going in the same direction. Although there were no empty seats on the train traveling that direction, there were many seats in private vehicles.
BlaBlaCar, as mentioned above, is a carpooling platform. It pairs those in need of rides with drivers that have empty seats in their vehicles. More than a carpooling service, BlaBlaCar is a community. The platform allows drivers and passengers to connect and learn more about themselves, encouraging them to build connections and friendships. Over the years, BlaBlaCar has expanded to twenty-two countries which include the following: Hungary, India, Turkey, Brazil, Russia, Ukraine, Germany, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Mexico, Poland, Slovakia, United Kingdom, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Serbia, Croatia, and Romania.
BlaBlaCar’s Early Years
After the 2003 train incident that fueled the idea to start the company, Fred Mazzella along with Nicolas Brusson, Francis Nappez, and a few other peers began developing the company. From 2004 to 2006, Mazzella, Brusson, and Nappez developed Comuto (which would later become BlaBlaCar) and entered it in a business competition, in which they won fourth place. The team continued to work on the company and re-entered Comuto into the 2007 competition, in which they won first place. By 2008, there were approximately 70,000 people using the carpool platform.
BlaBlaCar’s Sudden Popularity
BlaBlaCar directly benefited from at least two events that were inconvenient to travelers. The first event consisted of a train strike. News of the train strike encouraged the company to take advantage of the situation and make a press release providing concerned travelers with information regarding an alternative method of transportation that would be operational during the train strike. Thousands signed up for the carpool service overnight to ensure that they could arrive at their destination without worrying about the inconvenience of the train strike. At a later time, a volcanic eruption sent a cloud of smoke into the sky which interrupted flights and left many travelers stranded in a variety of locations. Many of the travelers that were stranded because of the flight cancellations and delays resorted to BlaBlaCar to get to their destination. Like the train strike, the flight interruption caused by the volcanic eruption also benefited the company. Overall, both instances helped the carpooling company gain widespread attention.
The Future of BlaBlaCar
Even after the sudden boom of BlaBlaCar’s popularity, the company’s success remained consistent—allowing it to expand to twenty-two countries over the years and serving 60 million users worldwide. Where is the company going? As of late, the company has made many changes in the carpooling services offered and in the company’s design (the aesthetics of the mobile application). BlaBlaCar has added long-distance rides between areas in which transportation options are not readily available. The carpooling company has also added a short-distance option designed for commuters. Without a doubt, BlaBlaCar will continue to be one of the leading carpool services available around the world.
Normandie Law Firm
Anytime you enter a vehicle and travel on a road, you run the risk of being involved in an accident regardless of whether you are the driver or a passenger. Unfortunately, BlaBlaCar drivers and users are not exceptions to the rule. Whenever you are using BlaBlaCar, you could be involved in a car accident. If you suffered a BlaBlaCar auto accident, you might have grounds to file a lawsuit and receive compensation. Depending on the details of your accident, you could file a claim against the driver that caused the accident, or you could also file a claim against BlaBlaCar. If you would like to learn more about what you could do after a BlaBlaCar accident, you should seek legal assistance. Normandie Law Firm is a personal injury law firm that has dedicated many years to handling car accident claims against a variety of services, such as BlaBlaCar. Our law firm offers free consultations and free second opinions to ensure that all injured victims have access to our free legal services. During our free consultations and free second opinions, our lawyers will be available to answer your questions and address all your concerns regarding your BlaBlaCar accident claim. Whether you are interested in beginning your claim or you are looking for redirection after being affected by an incompetent attorney, you could trust our attorneys.
Our Zero-Fee guarantee ensures that you can speak with our lawyers without having to worry about upfront legal expenses. Our firm is also based on contingency, so you will not have to pay anything until after you are compensated. If you were injured in a BlaBlaCar car accident and would like to learn more about your legal options, you should contact Normandie Law Firm immediately.
