Macron law opens long-distance coach travel in France to competition

The "loi Macron", a broad economic reform bill named after then economy minister Emmanuel Macron, was promulgated on 6 August 2015. Among its many measures, it liberalised long-distance domestic coach services in France.

Before the law, coach operators could carry passengers between French cities only in tightly limited cases, such as international routes with a domestic stop. The rule was meant to protect the state-owned rail operator SNCF and regional train services from competition. The new law allowed companies to open domestic routes freely. Services over 100 km were largely unrestricted, while shorter links could be reviewed by the transport regulator, then called ARAFER, to protect regional rail services.

The change opened the market to new entrants. SNCF launched its own coach brand, Ouibus, and German-based FlixBus and other operators started building French networks, offering fares often far below train prices. BlaBlaCar, the carpooling company, later entered through a bus business of its own. The reform made cheap coach travel available to many people for the first time, and it set the stage for the competition that newcomers such as Paco now seek to join.