Taxi protest in Duisburg: Fight against dumping prices from Uber & Co.

Impressive statement from the taxi entrepreneurs in Duisburg: The taxi drivers demonstrated at the town hall square against the unequal competition from ride-hailing companies like Uber and Bolt – and demanded minimum prices for rental car companies. The protest action was organized by the Funktaxi-Zentrale e.G., supported by other major Duisburg taxi companies such as Taxi Süd, Ehrenberger, West, Homberg, and Roto. The message of the demonstrators was clearly visible on the windows of the vehicles: "Stop social dumping from Uber & Co – Minimum prices now."

David versus Goliath on Duisburg's streets

In Duisburg, approximately 270 taxis are registered. While the number of light ivory-colored vehicles decreases year by year, the number of Uber vehicles is dramatically increasing. About 200 vehicles of the American platform operator are reportedly already on the hunt for customers in the city. Duisburg taxi companies feel increasingly pressured by the pricing strategies of digital platforms. They offer rides at rates significantly lower than the established taxi tariffs. Frank Wittig, board member of the Taxi-Funktaxi-Zentrale e.G., emphasized:

"We are here to draw attention to the dying out of taxis. Things are critical for us." His colleague Ilhan Koyuncu warned, "If nothing changes, in 2024 we will have to give up 20 to 30 percent of our colleagues this year as well."

Demand for Minimum Prices

The central demand of the demonstrators is the introduction of minimum prices for rental car companies. A price of 2.30 euros per kilometer is being discussed, while the current taxi tariff is 2.50 euros during the day and 2.70 euros at night as well as on Sundays and public holidays. The city of Duisburg is currently examining the implementation of this measure. As confirmed by the chairman of the Duisburg radio taxi center, Fuat Cetin, the city wants to commission an expert report first. However, the implementation of the measure is just a matter of time.

A Fight for Existence and Fairness

The economic situation of many taxi companies in Duisburg is tense. Operating costs are high, while the competition from ride service providers with low tariffs is growing. An employed driver incurs fixed costs of around 17 euros per hour – including wages, social contributions, and other legal obligations such as holiday pay or continued payment in the event of illness. For the business to be profitable, a driver must generate between 25 and 39 euros per hour depending on the workload.

At the same time, platform providers are pushing into the market with low prices. Their business models are based on flexible working relationships, which are hardly subject to comparable costs. In addition, it has been proven several times that many of the entrepreneurs driving for the platform operator Uber do not "follow the rules." The result: increasing pressure on companies that must adhere to applicable wage and social regulations.

The demonstration in Duisburg is part of a nationwide debate on the regulation of ride service providers. The German Association of Taxi and Rental Cars (Bundesverband Taxi und Mietwagen e.V.) points out that every day five taxi companies have to file for bankruptcy due to social dumping and unfair competition.