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BVTM demands targeted relief from Chancellor Merz: The taxi industry warns of the consequences of high fuel prices.
The debate over rising energy prices has returned to the political stage. While the federal government is considering possible relief measures, the taxi and rental-car industry is now speaking up with a concrete proposal. In an open letter to Chancellor Friedrich Merz, the Federal Association of Taxi and Rental Cars (BVTM) calls for targeted support for commercial traffic—and warns of the consequences of a blanket fuel discount. The association makes clear that high fuel prices for taxi companies are far more than a temporary nuisance. Unlike many other industries, they cannot pass on the increased costs to their customers in the short term. Fares are set by the municipalities and in many places are only adjusted at longer intervals.
“The taxi is, as part of essential public services, bound to government-mandated tariff structures that, on average, were last adjusted 2.5 years ago,” writes the BVTM to the Chancellor. The consequence: rising operating costs hit companies directly.
According to the association, a taxi company currently incurs on average around €492 in additional fuel costs per vehicle per month. At the same time, the BVTM points to a long-term trend: the number of taxis per 100,000 inhabitants has been declining for years. High energy costs could further accelerate this development.
Against the fuel discount for everyone
In principle, the association welcomes that the federal government is considering relief measures. However the BVTM is skeptical of broadly distributed relief measures.
“A blanket relief based on the watering-can principle would be expensive and poorly targeted,” the letter states.
Public funds should be used where mobility is professionally necessary and high energy costs directly threaten service delivery. The association therefore proposes a special relief scheme for commercially used vehicles. Taxi companies as well as bus and freight transport operators should benefit. This involves reducing the burden from energy and fuel taxes within the framework of European law.
Commercial fuel instead of commercial diesel
The BVTM deliberately steers the debate beyond the often-discussed 'commercial diesel'. For the industry, it is ultimately crucial that not only diesel, but also gasoline and charging electricity are taken into account. The rationale is obvious: many taxi companies are currently investing in alternative powertrains. A relief that exclusively favors fossil fuels would, from the association's perspective, disadvantage those companies that have already switched to electromobility.
"For the taxi industry, it is crucial to treat gasoline and charging electricity on an equal footing. After all, our sector is in the midst of the drive-train transition," emphasizes the BVTM.
The mobility transition must not be slowed down
The association therefore links its demand to a transport policy argument. Short-term crisis measures should not undermine long-term goals. Relief measures must be designed to be technology-neutral and take all propulsion forms into account. Taxis in particular occupy a special role in the public transport system. They complement buses and trains where line service reaches spatial or temporal limits. Accordingly, funding should not distinguish whether a vehicle runs on diesel, gasoline, or electricity.
Appeal to the Federal Government
As a practical solution, the BVTM proposes a simple reimbursement procedure for registered commercial vehicles. This would ensure that government aid actually reaches the companies that provide transportation services on a daily basis. The tone of the letter becomes noticeably more urgent toward the end.
“What is important at this point is quick action. Time is running out,” write BVTM President Gregor Beiner and Managing Director Michael Oppermann.
Every additional month with high energy costs increases the economic pressure on the businesses and thus threatens the long-term provision of mobility. With its initiative, the association is not fundamentally opposed to broad government relief. However, it calls for a different approach: Instead of broad subsidies for all car drivers, policy should specifically support those industries that provide mobility as a public service. The question of how such assistance can be designed is likely to become important not only for the taxi trade but for the entire transport sector.
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