€100 for anyone who brings other commuters with them
To combat traffic jams and emissions, France is focusing on carpooling. The country has been doing this for some time, but the call for tax relief is prompting the French government to take more action – and to introduce a financial incentive. France is allocating €150 million to encourage carpooling, of which €100 for every carpooler who makes at least ten journeys with others.
France is also diligently looking for ways to keep mobility affordable for everyone, reduce CO2 emissions and reduce the number of traffic jams. For the first reason, the country – just like the Netherlands – still has a reduction in excise duties on fuel. It expires at the end of the year. From 1 January, only the lowest incomes will be able to apply for a reduction in fuel costs and the majority of the French will again have to pay the full pound for a liter of petrol or diesel.
As of 2023, the country will take other measures to reduce costs for commuters. The French government announces this on its website. It is allocating a total of €150 million. €50 million of this will go to local authorities to fund the construction of more carpool spaces and lanes, €100 million is mainly intended for consumers. For example, anyone who makes their car available for carpooling and makes at least ten journeys with others will receive a €100 reward. To achieve this, the government distributes a large part of the €100 million to car-sharing platforms such as Blablacar. They then keep track of who has already ‘earned’ €100 and who hasn’t yet.
The number of carpool rides must more than triple
In 2019, the country started stimulating carpooling on a larger scale by creating carpool places and is now taking this a step further. There are now about 900,000 carpool rides per day in France, but that should be 3 million in 2027. According to the French government, the average French commuter can save €2,000 a year by carpooling regularly. The carpool plan, which is now €150 million, contains a total of fourteen measures, of which extra infrastructure and the financial incentive are the most important.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl