For 40 years, the 500 driving schools in the CER network have been providing driving lessons to more than 150,000 people throughout France each year. With a minimum of 20 hours of training per person, this represents more than 4,000,000 hours of lessons given each year. How can we give more meaning and an additional use to these kilometers driven beyond the simple objective of teaching? At a time when it is urgent to reduce the carbon footprint of our travels, when the price of gasoline has risen by 35% in one year and when many people are isolated due to lack of access to transportation, the CER network is innovating and inventing a new mobility solution: supportive, ecological and free. A new form of carpooling that also allows students to learn to be responsible for the people they transport.

In France, 13.3 million people are in a situation of "precarious mobility". Most of them are elderly, disabled or have financial problems. 4.3 million of them live in an area where there is no collective mobility solution. A sharp increase in isolation was observed between 2017 and 2021 (+122%), i.e. 2 million isolated elderly people and 530,000 people who are in a situation of "social death", i.e. without contact with various circles of sociability.

As a major player in mobility, our mission is to help people get around. With this initiative, the CER is positioning itself as a committed and supportive player. In addition to generating social links between generations and promoting social inclusion of vulnerable people, it also allows maximizes the use of each trip and reduces the carbon footprint of school cars. Carpooling reduces CO2 emissions by 25 to 40% compared to the use of a private car.

The initiative began in February 2023 with an initial phase in 50 driving schools in the “Ile de France” area to test the service: reception of the public, impact on learning driving courses and appointment scheduling. After one month, the service was deployed in the rest of the network. That is to say, about 450 driving schools spread over 17 major French cities.

Today, an average of 400 transports are provided each week. This rapid success was made possible by strong spontaneous media coverage. Journalists have taken up the subject with a dozen interventions in television news, numerous radio interviews and a strong takeover on social networks. Claude Kern, a senator involved in mobility issues, took up the subject to bring the discussion to the Senate and create a legal framework for this new practice.

With a media investment of 0 euros, "THE LOST RIDE" initiative generated more than 550 million PR impressions (TV, Radio, press, Social Media) for an average exposure of almost 4 minutes on national TVs. Registrations in CER driving schools have increased by approximately 30% since the launch of the operation, from a forecast of 150,000 people to almost 200,000. The awareness of the "CER" brand has jumped by more than 1000%.

There has been an ever-growing demand from registered students to be able to carpool people during their driving lessons. A new legislation to regulate this initiative is currently under discussion to create a legal framework (especially regarding insurance) to facilitate its implementation in all driving schools other than the CER.