Berlin election 2026: What CDU, SPD, Greens, The Left, AfD, BSW and FDP are planning for taxis, Uber and Bolt

The positions on taxi and platform providers mainly stem from party platforms, parliamentary initiatives, public statements by the parties, as well as debates about minimum fares and the regulation of ride-hailing platforms in Berlin. Not all top candidates have spoken in detail about taxi topics themselves. Therefore, at some points the programmatic positions of their parties are presented.

When Berlin elects a new state parliament on September 20, it will also decide what political framework the taxi and rental-car industry will find itself in in the coming years. Although the topic plays only a secondary role in the major election campaign debates on housing, security and finances. Behind the scenes, however, the regulation of platform providers such as Uber and Bolt is among the transport-policy points of contention where different conceptions of competition and mobility become evident.

Therefore the election is of particular interest for the taxi industry. Berlin has for years been regarded as one of the most important testing grounds for platform-mediated rental cars in Germany. Nowhere else do traditional taxi companies and digital mobility platforms meet so directly.

CDU: Allow competition, enforce rules

The Berlin CDU goes into the election campaign with Finance Senator Stefan Evers. After Kai Wegner's withdrawal, Evers temporarily took over the lead candidacy. He stands for the party's business-friendly course and relies in the campaign on less bureaucracy and more planning certainty for businesses.

In transport policy, the CDU generally pursues a technology-open approach. The taxi is regarded as part of the public mobility offering, while the party rejects a blanket disadvantage for digital ride-hailing platforms. However, the CDU supports the enforcement of existing rules for rental car companies. In the current legislative period, it was among the proponents of minimum fares for rental cars intended to limit distortions of competition with taxis.

SPD: Stricter controls and protection of fair competition

SPD lead candidate Steffen Krach tries to move the Social Democrats closer to the top of Berlin's party system again after difficult years.

Traditionally the SPD maintains close ties to the Berlin taxi trade. In recent years, the party has repeatedly advocated for more consistent oversight of rental car platforms. This concerns, in particular, adherence to the return-to-base requirement, the documentation of trips, and the fight against illegal business models. Representatives of the trade therefore often see the SPD as a discussion partner when it comes to restoring equal competitive conditions.

At the same time, the SPD views platform providers as part of a changing mobility market. The goal is less to drive Uber or Bolt out of the market, but to bind the providers more closely to existing rules.

Grüne: Mobility transition with taxi as part of the mobility mix

The Greens are running with Werner Graf and Bettina Jarasch as the top duo. Both stand for a consistent mobility transition in which public transport, cycling and shared mobility offerings should play a larger role.

When it comes to taxis, the Greens have pursued for years a differentiated approach. On the one hand, they support electrification of fleets and see taxis as an important component of a climate-friendly mobility offering. On the other hand, they generally regard digital platforms as part of modern mobility. For the Greens, what matters is that the same rules apply to all providers. In debates in the Abgeordnetenhaus, Green transport politicians have repeatedly pointed to the need to effectively monitor the statutory provisions for platform-mediated rental cars.

The Left: Sharp criticism of Uber and Bolt

For The Left, Elif Eralp leads the election campaign. The party, among the larger Berlin parties, represents the most critical stance toward the large platform providers.

The Left argues that Uber, Bolt and similar companies create price pressure that often comes at the expense of drivers and companies. Therefore, for years the party has been demanding stricter controls, more staff at the supervisory authorities, and more consistent penalties for violations of the Passenger Transport Act. The conventional taxi sector regards the Left as part of the public service. Accordingly, it supports measures that, in its view, create equal competitive conditions between taxis and rental cars.

AfD: Less Regulation, Criticism of the Mobility Turn

The Berlin AfD stands with Kristin Brinker. At the center of their campaign are mainly the issues of security, migration, and criticism of the current transport policy.

Specific taxi- or rental-car policy demands play a smaller role for the AfD than for other parties. Generally the party opposes additional regulations and is skeptical of state intervention. At the same time, it criticizes measures it deems to disadvantage motorized traffic. For the taxi trade, this does not yield a clearly defined concept vis-à-vis platform providers. Rather, the AfD places the topic within its general critique of Berlin transport policy.

BSW: Focus on the SME sector and municipal governance

The Sahra Wagenknecht alliance runs with Alexander King and Michael Lüders. The party tries to position itself as an economic-policy alternative for small and medium-sized enterprises.

In the area of passenger transport, the BSW advocates stronger protection of SME structures. Platform economies are often viewed critically by the party when they, in its view, lead to market distortions or put local businesses under pressure. For taxi operators, the demand for stronger municipal control of mobility markets is likely to be of interest. Concrete Berlin measures against Uber or Bolt are, however, less in the foreground than with The Left or the SPD.

FDP: More Competition and Innovation

The FDP relies on Christoph Meyer as their top candidate. The Liberals generally view digital platforms as drivers of innovation and are more open to new business models than most other parties.

From the FDP's perspective, the state should create equal framework conditions without favoring individual market participants. Accordingly, liberals regularly criticize regulations that could hinder the entry of new providers. In taxi policy, the FDP relies on modernization, digitization, and openness to technology. Platform providers are not regarded as a problem, but as competitors that should operate within a clear legal framework.