Karos appointed as operator of Île-de-France Mobilités’ carpooling service

Paris, 11 July 2025 – At its meeting on 10 July 2025, the board of Île-de-France Mobilités authorised the signature of the contract with Karos for the operation of the scheduled carpooling service in the Paris region. Karos is now the only scheduled carpooling operator supported by Île-de-France Mobilités, making the offer clearer and simpler for users.

Read the press release

Since 2017, Île-de-France Mobilités has encouraged carpooling by offering two journeys a day to annual, monthly and Imagine R Navigo pass holders and by providing financial incentives to carpoolers, in order to promote a form of mobility that reduces the number of vehicles on the road — and therefore pollution and traffic — and offers solutions when the transport network is disrupted or during pollution peaks.

Since this scheme was launched, Île-de-France Mobilités has entered into bilateral agreements with carpooling operators. Those agreements then allow users to benefit from two free journeys a day when they search for their route via the Île-de-France Mobilités app. The scheme has enabled a gradual scale-up of the offer, through financial support for eligible journeys and growing complementarity with the public transport network.

In 2024, more than 2.8 million journeys were subsidised by Île-de-France Mobilités — 800,000 more than in 2023. 80% of the subsidised journeys took place in the outer suburbs, showing the value of this mode of travel in less densely served areas.

Now, in order to simplify its offer and help carpooling take a step up, Île-de-France Mobilités is opting for a unified contract with a single operator, integrated into its service, so that the car becomes a mobility solution that complements the rest of the transport network and makes travel across the Paris region easier.

Karos appointed to operate the scheduled carpooling service in the Paris region

Karos, the incoming contract holder, is tasked with setting up the management and operation of a short-distance scheduled (bookable) carpooling service in the Paris region. It will provide and operate an app, integrated into the Île-de-France Mobilités ecosystem and visual identity, handle the payment of financial incentives, put anti-fraud controls in place, and continuously improve the service to meet changing needs. It will also lead communications for the service and promote it to users to encourage take-up.

Karos will operate the scheduled carpooling service for two years. Île-de-France Mobilités may extend the operating period by a further two years.

Two types of carpooling in the Paris region

As a reminder, there are two types of carpooling in the Paris region:

• “Scheduled” carpooling: the traveller books their route via the app by entering their departure and arrival points. The app then suggests a journey and matches them with a driver, so they can book their trip in advance.
• “Fixed” carpooling lines: the traveller goes to a physical stop without booking, signals their presence via the mobile app or by text message, and waits for a driver to pass — a system similar to a bus route, marked out by stops.

The two approaches are complementary: “scheduled” carpooling gives users a transport option when no other means are available or when the network is disrupted, while the lines provide service in areas with fewer transport options or where the car is essential.

On 10 June 2025, Île-de-France Mobilités launched its first fixed carpooling line on the Plateau de Saclay, a dynamic area where the car remains a necessity for commuting — hence the value of carpooling lines. Two further lines will be rolled out in this area from September 2025.

With the launch of this scheduled carpooling contract, both types of carpooling are now organised with a single operator and fully integrated into the transport ecosystem of the Paris region network.