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Brandenburg struggles with the rampant growth of Uber & Co.
The districts are sounding the alarm. In a letter dated May 22 to the Ministry of Infrastructure, the Brandenburg District Association criticizes what it sees as the hesitant approach to combating the spread of illegal structures. The situation, it states, has "increasingly worsened."
The managing director of the District Association, Johannes Wagner, expresses it clearly: The ministry's approach is "inadequate." In several districts, applications for new rental car licenses are rising noticeably – with up to 85 vehicles per week. In one district, permits for about 300 vehicles are said to have been applied for in a short period. It is suspected that among these new applications there are companies operating in the same pattern as previously in Berlin: with illegal rides, questionable working conditions, and circumventing social and tax obligations.
LABO blocks 2,000 vehicles in Berlin
The Berlin State Office for Citizen and Regulatory Affairs (LABO) had blocked around 2,000 vehicles following corresponding investigations, which were not legally on the road. The result: part of this fleet now seems to have switched to Brandenburg. Within a few months, the number of licensed rental vehicles there increased by around 800 to now over 2,600. Platforms like Uber or Bolt typically end their mediation as soon as a vehicle has been blocked - which makes quick and reliable control all the more important.
But here the problems are evident. The processing of concession applications is carried out under great time pressure. The Passenger Transport Act requires a swift decision, while at the same time it requires thorough examination and continuous monitoring to prevent abuse. The local authorities are overwhelmed in terms of personnel: The "balancing act," as Wagner says, between the high volume of work and the requirements for control and legal certainty is hardly manageable on its own.
Authorities are reacting too slowly
As early as March, the district council sought discussions with the Ministry of Infrastructure. In response, the ministry announced a consultation "for this year" – a step that the district council considers insufficient given the urgency. It is now calling for the establishment of a permanent working group – comparable to the Berlin model – involving authorization authorities, police, customs, and tax offices.
Additionally, the association suggests the introduction of a joint database for Berlin and Brandenburg. This would collect information on individuals and companies that have already had a concession revoked. Only in this way, it is said, can the movement of dubious operators across state borders be effectively curtailed.
Schopf calls for better coordination
Support is coming from Berlin. The SPD deputy Tino Schopf sees the problem not only in Brandenburg but also in the previous coordination between the states. A joint database is necessary to sustainably counter the "system of exploitation, social benefit fraud, and tax evasion." According to Schopf, Brandenburg must not repeat the mistakes that cost Berlin dearly.
The issue remains on the agenda – and the pressure on the Ministry of Infrastructure in Potsdam is increasing. Because the longer the patchwork exists between the two states, the more players exploit the gaps. And while the legal taxi industry is struggling for customers and trust, elsewhere an underground economy is growing that is difficult to grasp – but which must finally and urgently be limited with clear rules and joint control.
Content automatically translated.
Taxi-Fahrzeuge (Pkw) , Taxi-Newsletter, Taxameter, Taxi-Fahrer , BZP – Deutscher Taxi- und Mietwagenverband , Straßenverkehrsordnung (StVO) , Krankenbeförderung , Weiterbildung , Taxi-Konzessionen , Verkehrspolitik , Mietwagenbranche , Taxi-Apps , Berufskraftfahrer-Qualifikations-Gesetz BKrFQG) , Taxizentralen , Personal, Gehälter, Arbeitsschutz , Wirtschaftsnachrichten , Werbung , Taxi-Folierung , Taxi-Umrüster , Straßenverkehr , Elektromobilität, Taxifuhrpark und -flottenmanagement , Taxi-Versicherungen , Hybrid, Diesel, Erdgas , Taxi-Magazin
