Dispute over basic qualifications: Taxi association calls for improvements.

The Federal Association of Taxi and Hire Cars e. V. submitted its position on June 5, 2026 in Berlin regarding the draft regulation for reducing bureaucracy in the transport sector. According to the association, the focus is on the planned amendments to the Driver's License Ordinance regarding the so-called small professional knowledge, as well as the industry's view that the adjustment of the calibration interval for taximeters is missing.

With around 100,000 vehicles, 250,000 drivers, and about 32,000 companies, the taxi and rental-car sector is a central part of public mobility. The association says it represents around two-thirds of the organized businesses.

Small qualification not implemented since 2021

The small qualification was introduced into the Driver's License Regulations in 2021 as part of the amendment to the Passenger Transport Act. At the same time, the local knowledge test for taxi drivers was abolished. According to the association, the small-qualification examination has not been implemented by the competent administrations since its introduction.

In particular in large cities, such a qualification proof is required, from the association's perspective, to ensure a minimum level of quality and compliance with special duties of care pursuant to § 7 of the Regulation on the Operation of Motor Vehicle Companies in Passenger Transport and other relevant regulations. The aim of the 2021 reform had been to ensure qualified driving personnel nationwide in taxi and rental car traffic.

State-opening clause with reservations

The draft regulation provides for a state-opening clause, according to which the federal states themselves can decide whether to prescribe a small qualification. The association regards different state regulations as additional bureaucratic burden. At the same time, it sees in the opening clause the possibility to implement the small qualification at least in parts of Germany, and supports the approach in the balancing of interests.

Kritically, the association nonetheless judges that the responsibility should be located exclusively at the state level. It proposes to enable delegation to the municipal level, especially in large-area states. Thus, large cities within a federal state could independently introduce a small qualification, while it would not apply in other regions. As a model, the association points to § 51 paragraph 1 sentence 3 of the Passenger Transport Act and proposes a corresponding adjustment to the planned § 48 paragraph 4a.