Road transport: exceptional aid capped at 180,000 euros

Decree No. 2026-885 of September 23, 2026, establishes a third exceptional aid scheme for the benefit of public road transport companies. Published in the Official Journal of the French Republic No. 0223 of September 24, 2026, under the reference NOR: TRAT2624540D, it provides direct aid capped at 180,000 euros per company for the period from June to August 2026. The text is sponsored by the Ministry of Transport.

A cap of 180,000 euros for companies with fewer than one thousand employees

The aid is intended for public road transport companies established in France employing fewer than one thousand employees as of the date the application is submitted. It targets companies that hold, in accordance with Article L. 3411-1 of the Transport Code, a national or community public transport license for passengers or goods.

The main activity must correspond to one of the following NAF codes issued by INSEE: 49.41A, 49.41B, 49.41C, 53.20Z, 49.42Z, 52.10B, 52.29A, 52.29B, 49.39A, 49.39B, and 80.10Z. Companies must not have any unpaid tax or social security debts as of December 31, 2024, unless they have been settled or covered by a payment plan; debts less than or equal to 1,500 euros and those subject to a dispute not definitively settled by April 1, 2026, are not taken into account.

A scale calculated vehicle by vehicle

The total amount paid for the combined period of June to August is equal to three times the sum of the products of the number of vehicles operated by the unit amount for each category:

• Coaches: 250 euros;
• Light vehicles with fewer than 10 seats assigned to collective passenger transport: 70 euros;
• Goods carrying vehicles with a GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight) less than or equal to 3.5 tonnes: 70 euros;
• GVW greater than 3.5 tonnes and less than or equal to 7.5 tonnes: 100 euros;
• GVW greater than 7.5 tonnes and less than 26 tonnes: 250 euros;
• GVW equal to or greater than 26 tonnes: 400 euros;
• Tractor units for road transport of goods: 500 euros.

Eligible vehicles fall under categories M2 or M3 (classes II, III, and B of UNECE Regulation No. 107) or categories N or M1, including specialized self-propelled vehicles. They must be owned by the company or taken on long-term lease or hire-purchase, effectively operated in public road transport, and up to date with technical inspections.

Financial conditions and accumulation with previous schemes

For any request exceeding 5,000 euros per month, the company must show a ratio of current pre-tax profit to turnover less than or equal to 1% over the last two financial years closed before April 30, 2026, or over the last available financial year. Companies without a financial year closed before this date are capped at 5,000 euros per month.

The scheme falls under Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/2831 of December 13, 2023, and is cumulative with the aid from Decree No. 2026-289 of April 17, 2026, and Decree No. 2026-591 of July 3, 2026. Any company that has received more than 5,000 euros per month and whose gross operating surplus for the financial year including August 2026, net of aid, exceeds 65% of that of the previous financial year must repay the aid received.

Payment by the Service and Payment Agency

The Service and Payment Agency (Agence de services et de paiement) ensures the management and payment of aid on behalf of the State, within the framework of an agreement concluded with the Minister in charge of transport. It collects the necessary data, processes and notifies the aid by unilateral decision, pays the sums, recovers overpayments, and handles claims.

Beneficiaries must register with the Service and Payment Agency by November 9, 2026, at the latest and keep available the documents certifying their eligibility and that of the vehicles operated. Supporting documents proving compliance with the profit condition must be submitted to it before October 31, 2027, under penalty of recovery.

With this third phase, the State extends direct support to the entire road sector, both passengers and freight, for a quarter already elapsed: carriers have until November 9, 2026, to register and must document their eligibility until 2027.

Source: Official Journal of the French Republic No. 0223 of September 24, 2026, Decree No. 2026-885 of September 23, 2026, NOR: TRAT2624540D.