Fuel prices: over 20% more seats offered since the beginning of the war in the Middle East, according to BlaBlaCar

In the context of rising fuel prices linked to the war in the Middle East, the BlaBlaCar platform has seen “a 20% increase in the number of seats offered” compared to the same period last year, said its general manager, Nicolas Brusson, on France Inter on Monday. However, he assures that prices have not increased. “It really started a month ago, with the April holidays,” explains the general manager. “Typically, if we take the May 1st weekend, we have over 300,000 seats offered, which is almost 20% above the same weekend last year.”

BlaBlaCar also notes a 40% increase in the number of new drivers, those “who are sharing a ride for the first time.” “In the past, we have seen that when the price of gasoline rises and is widely discussed in the media, it allows some people to dip their toe in the water,” and “then, what we observe is that people who discover it tend to continue,” explains the platform’s general manager.

“We do not see an explosion” in demand

Passenger demand, on the other hand, is “a bit more stable, we do not see an explosion today,” says Nicolas Brusson. The occupancy rate is therefore currently “slightly down”. This partly explains why “prices have not increased” over the period. But it is also a matter of tradition at BlaBlaCar, according to its general manager.

In 2025, Blablacar recorded 150 million reservations, so 150 million passengers worldwide, including almost 20 million in France.