Future workshop in Bamberg: TMV invites you to Think Tank 2026—and opens its doors to all interested parties.

In Bamberg, the Taxi- and Rental Car Association Germany (TMV) is holding its “Think Tank 2026” on June 25 and 26. At the Aufseesianum Education Center, the focus should deliberately not be on the classic association event. Instead of long speeches and endless panel discussions, the association relies on a workshop-style character, discussion and concrete solutions. The list of topics already shows that the TMV is aligning itself with the industry's current hot spots. Among other things, the focus includes the control of the return obligation for rental cars, the economic future of patient transport, the effects of special agreements with health insurers, and the question of how the industry can assert itself against internationally operating platform companies.

The political kickoff will be led by the member of the Bundestag Michael Donth (CDU), who for years has been regarded as one of the most prominent transport policy experts in the field of passenger transport law. His participation is likely to be seen as a signal that the industry's concerns will continue to be heard in Berlin.

Return-to-base obligation monitored!

The topic block on the return-to-base obligation will probably be particularly exciting for many entrepreneurs. The TMV presents with „RouteProof“ and „driveAnalytics“ new software solutions, with which possible violations of the legal requirements can be documented and analyzed. The question of how compliance with the return-to-base obligation can be monitored has for years been one of the central points of contention between taxi companies and platform operators.

That the conflict is increasingly taking place on digital terrain is shown by another program item. With „team.getcloser“ a software for hearing offices is introduced, which should support authorities and control authorities in handling corresponding procedures. Data analyses, platform evaluations and digital control instruments are increasingly becoming an important tool in regulatory competition.

The view beyond the national borders also belongs to the program. Under the title „Unified taxi and hire-car regulation in Austria – transferable to Germany?“ the TMV discusses with Christian Holzhauser, Managing Director of Taxi 40100 Wien, the Austrian model. There, for years rules for taxi and rental-vehicle traffic have been clearly more uniform than in Germany. The question whether insights can be derived for the German market from this is likely to be of interest to many participants.

Our legal expert on site: Thomas Grätz

A legal assessment is also provided by Thomas Grätz, who in the industry has long been known as a recognized expert in passenger transport law. Given the numerous court proceedings around platform providers and new mobility services, this program item promises practical orientation.

On the second day of the event, another topic comes into focus: non-emergency medical transport. For many operators it has now become an indispensable economic building block. Accordingly, there is considerable attention to the current disputes with health insurers.

Under the heading „Hotspot Hesse“ Jens Marggraf reports on the current state of the conflicts with DAK. Many entrepreneurs view, in particular, special agreements and tendering models critically, because they increasingly call into question the profitability of non-emergency medical transport.

Quality standards in non-emergency medical transport

Also discussed are developments in non-qualified medical transport. Here the boundaries between taxi companies, specialized transport services and new mobility providers are increasingly blurring. The concern of many entrepreneurs: quality standards and fair remuneration could be left behind.

At the same time, the look ahead. With projects such as „Smart Move“ by the GVN, digital solutions for hospital discharge management and the announced „Initiative United Ride Services“ there are new cooperation and networking models on the agenda. The aim is to strengthen the industry’s position and in the long term to ensure a reliable and fairly compensated provision of transport services.