BlaBlaCar leaves the Russian market. How a startup helps Ukrainians

The French company BlaBlaCar stops developing its business in Russia. In Ukraine, however, a travel startup has adapted its platform for volunteer drivers and refugees. This is reported by Forbes with reference to the information of representatives of the company.

In particular, it is indicated that BlaBlaCar will no longer invest in Russia and develop its market due to the war against Ukraine and EU sanctions. Moreover, the Russian service was unprofitable.

It is known that to protect more than 100 Russian employees, the company will leave the platform in its current form, but isolate its Russian activities from the rest of the startup.

For 85 employees from Ukraine, BlaBlaCar offers financial, logistical and psychological support, as well as helps them move to safer places.

The company has also adapted its carpooling platform for volunteer drivers and refugees. In Ukraine, Poland, Romania and Hungary, drivers can now offer free BlaBlaCar rides and take as many passengers as they can.

According to the company, BlaBlaCar users have already helped 80 thousand Ukrainians get to a safer place.

In addition, in Western Europe, BlaBlaCar buses connecting the largest cities in 9 countries are free for Ukrainian refugees.

"BlaBlaCar opposes any acts of war and destruction that are being observed in Ukraine today. We express our deep support for the Ukrainian population and warm words of gratitude to the members of the BlaBlaCar community and employees who have demonstrated unity over the past two weeks," the company stressed.

BlaBlaCar is one of the world's largest travel platforms, used by more than 100 million users in 22 countries. In peacetime, the French BlaBlaCar had 8 million users in Ukraine. During the first 4 days of the war, the demand for travel tripled — 50 thousand people used the service. The main problem now is the shortage of drivers.