High-frequency carpool
lines operated by Ecov
To scale up carpooling on major peri-urban road corridors, Ecov deploys high-level service carpool lines (express carpool lines).
Guaranteed
waiting time
Real-time
information
Departures within minutes
Tailored user adoption support
Express carpool lines to decongest major corridors
Key corridors connecting metropolitan areas and employment zones experience heavy daily traffic flows.
On these highly used routes, drivers are most often alone in vehicles with 5 available seats. The average occupancy rate for commuting trips is only 1.07 people per vehicle.
“Congestion, greenhouse gas emissions, pollution, cost of travel… dependence on single-occupancy vehicles creates significant environmental and social challenges.”
Modal shift from solo driving & seamless multimodal journeys: a “tram-level” service
Expanding carpooling beyond pre-arranged trips
High-frequency carpool lines offer a “tram-level quality of service”:
passengers can depart within minutes, without booking, with guaranteed waiting times visible in real time. On our lines, less than 10% of users were carpooling before discovering the service.
Like other high-capacity public transport systems (e.g. Bus Rapid Transit), an express carpool line includes:
- an origin
- a destination
- physical stops integrated into the road infrastructure
The solution is designed to enable modal shift away from solo driving and ensure integration into multimodal journeys (connections with public transport networks).
Carpooling without booking constraints
No need to plan your trip in advance:
- the passenger goes to a stop and enters their destination via the mobile app
- a driver already on the road is notified via dynamic roadside signs and the mobile app
- Departure is guaranteed within minutes
A comprehensive and high-performance
public service
The success of this solution relies on 7 key pillars:
A public-interest approach, focusing carpooling where it is most relevant and fostering intermodality (metro, tram, active mobility, etc.).
Upstream territorial and traffic flow studies to identify the most relevant corridors
Deployment of roadside infrastructure: adapted stops, dynamic signage, support for HOV lane implementation (carpool lanes), etc. Physical visibility on the road is a key driver of user adoption
On the Lane network, 55% of users discovered the service through roadside signage and infrastructure
A departure guarantee (taxi or ride-hailing backup after a defined waiting time), ensuring service reliability
A comprehensive user service ecosystem (mobile app, website, SMS, call center), enabling real-time user journeys
A dedicated brand, with possible integration into local mobility systems / MaaS platforms
Marketing, communication, and community development efforts to drive behavior change and increase adoption among residents and stakeholders.
In practice, this requires equipping highways and main roads with an express mobility offering.
“France must be covered by public transport networks. And these networks must include express carpool lines in areas where other modes are not relevant.”
Integrating shared cars into
your express mobility network
At Ecov, we believe that 80% of the population can have access to an express mobility network within 10 minutes of their home.
To achieve this, road-based mobility must be integrated into the express transport system—bringing cars into the public transport ecosystem. The goal: deliver a fast, high-frequency, reliable transport service, including in areas where traditional public transport reaches its limits.
- For short trips: active modes (walking, cycling) are most relevant.
- For longer daily trips: express carpool lines are the most efficient solution to move 3 passengers every 10 minutes.
Recent regulatory developments support this approach, notably: The Metropolitan Regional Express Services (SERM) law adopted in December 2023 and The Road Express Services (SER) framework announced in April 2024.
Additionally, our white paper outlines the conditions required to build a high-performance multimodal system within the SERM and SER frameworks.
Discover our success stories
Explore our mobility projects developed hand in hand with public authorities.
- Express carpool lines
Express carpool lines Design, deployment and operation of 15 express carpool lines, under the M mobility brand, connecting the Voironnais,
- Express carpool lines
Express carpool lines The Lyon Metropolitan Authority and the Porte de l’Isère Urban Community (CAPI) selected Ecov to design and
- Express carpool lines
Express carpool lines Deployment and operation of four high-frequency carpool lines serving the Plaine de l’Ain Industrial Park (PIPA) and
- Express carpool lines
Express carpool lines Design, deployment and operation of 15 express carpool lines, under the M mobility brand, connecting the Voironnais,
- Express carpool lines
Express carpool lines The Lyon Metropolitan Authority and the Porte de l’Isère Urban Community (CAPI) selected Ecov to design and