Robotaxis: Taxi industry calls for clear rules for autonomous operation

At the Mobility Move specialist conference of the Association of German Transport Companies in Berlin, representatives from academia, municipalities, mobility companies and associations discussed the future of public transport and autonomous mobility. The central question was under what regulatory conditions robotaxis can be integrated into German traffic systems.

Modeling reveals mode-shift effects

Under the heading “The Robo-Taxi Case,” Prof. Dr.-Ing. Martin Kagerbauer from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology presented a modeling for the cities of Mannheim and Friedrichshafen. According to it, robotaxis in larger cities, under low regulation and low prices, divert traffic from the so-called environmental network, i.e., from bus, rail, cycling and pedestrian traffic, onto the road.

The described effects resemble developments in the ride-hailing market. There too, it can be observed that low-cost offers generated additional traffic and altered existing structures.

Taxi as a possible operating model

Michael Oppermann, Managing Director of the Federal Association of Taxi and Rental Cars, stated in the discussion that autonomous technologies should not be understood as a threat.

„Taxi and rental cars are not the counter-model to autonomous driving, but a possible operating model for it“

he stressed. Existing companies already possessed operational competencies such as monitoring, dispatch, and maintenance, and could integrate autonomous fleets into existing traffic systems.

At the same time, Oppermann called for a clear regulatory framework. Municipalities must continue to be able to control where autonomous vehicles are deployed, how many vehicles are licensed, and how these are integrated into local mobility strategies. Instruments such as fleet-size regulation and price regulation have long been established in the taxi sector and could also be relevant for robotaxis.

Metropolises as the first markets

In the discussion, the question was also addressed whether robotaxis will, in the long term, be deployed more in rural areas or in large cities. Oppermann pointed out that many partner companies of platform providers are based in Brandenburg, but their vehicles are used predominantly in Berlin. From this it can be deduced that new offerings will initially focus on economically attractive metropolises.

Local operator structures required

According to the Federal Association of Taxi and Rental Cars, the introduction of autonomous mobility should not be left to global platform companies alone. Autonomous driving requires local operator structures with knowledge of regional markets as well as established relationships with municipalities and clients. Technology companies could provide the technical infrastructure, while the day-to-day operations would be organized within responsible local structures.