The Federal Association of Taxi and Rental Cars lobbies in Brussels for sustainable mobility.

The Federal Association of Taxi and Rental Cars held talks in Brussels last week with representatives of the European Commission as well as with members of the European Parliament. According to the association, the focus was on the role of the taxi trade in decarbonising road transport as well as the industry's prospects in the context of automated mobility.

President Gregor Beiner traveled together with Armand Joseph-Oudin of G7, based in Paris, to the Belgian capital. The aim of the talks was to bring the industry's positions into European decision-making processes at an early stage.

Autonomous Vehicles and Regulation

In discussions with Sanna Laaksonen, a member of the Cabinet of European Commission Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen, the development of autonomous vehicles had been at the forefront. It addressed their significance for the taxi trade and the regulatory frameworks that take the industry's interests into account.

According to the association, taxis play a central role in sustainable urban mobility concepts. For the transition to clean mobility to succeed, policy guidelines must reflect the operating realities of the companies.

Initiative “Clean Corporate Vehicles”

Further discussions were held by Beiner with Lithuanian Member of the European Parliament Virginijus Sinkevičius, Deputy Chair of the Transport Committee, as well as with Belgian MEP Benoît Cassart, a member of the Transport Committee. Topics included, among other things, the Initiative “Clean Corporate Vehicles” and the role of taxis in the shift to low-emission fleets.

The association sees the transformation of vehicle fleets as a key building block in achieving the European climate goals. Accordingly, it has explained the specific requirements and framework conditions of the trade.