You can count on taxis: Rail disruption brings almost €650,000 in taxi revenue.

A technical fault largely brought rail traffic in Germany to a standstill for around two hours late on Tuesday evening. According to Deutsche Bahn, the radio connection between locomotive drivers and signal boxes failed as a result of a component replacement. With the help of an emergency system, rail traffic could be gradually resumed over the course of the night.

The taxi sector benefited from the disruption as a substitute transport service. According to Robert Abel, taxi rides during the night amounted to a turnover of almost 650,000 euros and were processed via the TaBeA digital system.

TaBeA, the taxi ordering and billing system of the Federal Association of Taxi and Hire Cars, serves the digital handling of rail taxis in cases of train delays and cancellations. Passengers receive a digital voucher with a QR code, which the taxi company redeems. The billing is then carried out directly between the taxi company and Deutsche Bahn.

While the rail traffic was down, the taxi industry kept the mobility of many travelers going. The incident shows that taxis play an important role in the provision of public services in emergencies. The question, therefore, is less whether taxis are needed—but rather whether policymakers and the responsible authorities will adequately recognize this role in the future and incorporate it into their mobility concepts. (Source: Robert Abel; Deutsche Bahn)