Cab rates

A study commissioned by the car rental lobby portrays German taxi fares as overpriced and calls for more price competition. But the comparison omits central cost factors. Those who only look at the fare overlook why taxis in Germany operate differently than many platform models.

From 1 November 2026, passengers in Bremen will be able to agree on a binding fare for pre-booked taxi rides. The Hanseatic City of Bremen thus uses an option that the PBefG has already provided for since 2021 — and at the same time responds to the growing competitive pressure from platform providers such as Uber and Bolt.

The Fürstenfeldbruck Taxi Radio Cooperative e.G. urges the district office to examine the introduction of a minimum fare for rental cars. The appeal is addressed to District Administrator Thomas Karmasin. Link to the petition at the end of the article!

(dpa) 38 euros instead of 26 euros in Frankfurt, 60 euros instead of 35 euros in Berlin: A snapshot shows clear differences. A study also reveals why competition is not solely about the fare.

(dpa/lni) Higher wage and operating costs are leading to new tariffs in many places. While some municipalities have already adjusted tariffs, elsewhere further price increases are on the horizon.

Anyone in the Görlitz district who orders a taxi in the future will have to dig a little deeper into their pockets. The district council has approved an adjustment of the transport charges. This is the first tariff change since 2022, and it takes into account the increased costs of the operators at almost all levels.

Going forward, passengers will be able to agree on a fixed fare in advance. The new regulation is part of a fare adjustment and is intended to provide greater cost certainty for booked rides.

(dpa) With a new price regulation, the state capital aims to create a level playing field. At the same time, it pursues transport and regulatory policy objectives.

The discussion about fair competitive conditions between the taxi and rental-car industries in Dortmund moves to the next round. After legal uncertainties had caused delays for months, the city administration is now presenting a revised proposal for higher taxi fares and minimum prices in the rental-car sector.

(dpa) As Cologne introduces new pricing rules, platforms like Bolt warn of higher costs for passengers. The competition in urban passenger transport is heating up.

A recent TV report by Hessenschau on social fraud in app-mediated ride services once again highlights the substantial extent of abuses in the platform-based car rental sector. The BVTM calls for stricter regulation and minimum fares.

(dpa) Due to rising fuel prices, Kassel raises the price per kilometer to 2.80 euros. Other cities in Hesse are examining adjustments or sticking to stable tariffs.

The fault lines in the German passenger transport market have for years run along clear lines: here the classic taxi trade with fare regulation, an obligation to operate and strict regulation, there the platform economy with algorithmic pricing, flexible business models and aggressive expansion. Now, on the side of platform supporters, for the first time a dedicated association is forming – founded precisely by an entrepreneur who comes from parcel logistics.

In Frankfurt am Main the protest is now rolling through the city on a weekly basis. With as many as three demonstrations within two weeks, the taxi industry plans to increase the pressure on politicians and public administration. At the center is a demand that the industry has been raising for years: a minimum fare for taxi traffic – abbreviated MBE.

The Mettmann District Council rejects a minimum fare for platform-mediated rental cars. The industry association VSPV sees misinterpretations of the instrument and warns of structural consequences for taxis as part of public transport.

In Amberg, regulation is currently being used as a short-term crisis intervention. As the first municipality in Bavaria, the city has introduced a diesel price surcharge for taxi traffic by emergency ordinance – an instrument that stands out less for its magnitude than for its ease of implementation.

Minimum transport fares are intended to prevent dumping prices and to create the same framework conditions between taxis and platform-mediated rental cars.

The Taxi and Rental Car Association Germany (TMV) expressly welcomes the Munich City Council's current decision to introduce minimum transportation charges (MBE) for rental cars as well as the adjustment of taxi tariffs.

The Federal Association of Taxi and Rental Cars welcomes today’s vote by the Munich City Council on the introduction of minimum fare charges for rental cars as a landmark decision for fair competition in the passenger transport market.

The district administration committee of the Munich City Council yesterday and the plenary assembly today gave the green light for the introduction of minimum fare charges (MBE) for rental cars, thereby bringing a years-long struggle of Munich's taxi trade for fair competition conditions to a decisive turning point.

(dpa/tk) The dispute between the city of Munich and the taxi competition from Bolt or Uber had long smoldered. Now the city council has spoken with a firm hand and decided minimum prices for Uber & Co. from July 2026.

The debate about minimum prices for rental cars has reached a new phase in Munich. What had long been discussed, postponed and weighed up legally is now taking concrete form. The city wants to reorganize competition in the on-demand transport sector - Freenow by Lyft welcomes the decision.

The Federal Association of Taxi and Rental Cars e.V. (BVTM) welcomes the published general directive of the City of Cologne regarding the introduction of minimum fares in the rental-car sector with great pleasure. Cologne would send a 'powerful signal'.

The current ZDF reportage “WISO Deals: The Deals of Uber” (link at the end of the article) lays bare what the taxi industry has criticized for years: Uber's business model only works at the expense of others. The Federal Association of Taxi and Rental Cars feels vindicated by the investigation and calls for decisive political action.

The dispute over the reimbursement for patient transport by taxis and rental cars in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern remains unresolved. After the health insurers rejected the industry association's final offer on April 16, 2026, the attempt to conclude a unified framework agreement has also failed. The fronts have hardened, and the consequences could extend far beyond the industry.

In the middle of last year, Munich's former mayor Dieter Reiter unexpectedly let the decision for minimum prices for rental cars in Munich, which had already been deemed certain, fall through. “Mobility must not become any more expensive,” said Reiter — an argument that seemed to be dictated directly by the platform operators. Mayor Reiter has been voted out — now fair competition can take hold in Munich.

The FDP parliamentary group criticizes the transport authority's plans to introduce a minimum transport charge for rental cars. From the Liberals' perspective, rising prices threaten customers. Thomas Kroker from TMV speaks plainly.

After failed negotiations, as of April 1, numerous businesses have suspended patient transport services. An expert opinion by the VSPV assesses individual contracts with health insurers in the mandatory transport sector as inadmissible and calls for official scrutiny.

In the dispute over the reimbursement for non-emergency medical transport, taxi companies and health insurers are moving closer to an agreement. The state association has significantly reduced its demand and proposes a temporary solution until the end of the year.

The conflict between the taxi and car-rental industries has reached a new level. The city of Essen must legally tighten the price regulations that have been in effect since the start of the year.

In Essen, policymakers are currently trying something that has been demanded for years in the taxi trade: fair competitive conditions. Minimum prices for platform providers such as Uber or Bolt should prevent rides from being systematically offered below the taxi fare. An instrument against a market that has fallen out of balance.

Starting this month, taxi rides to the doctor's office or to the hospital in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern are at risk of being canceled. The reason for this is a dispute over remuneration. Dozens of taxi drivers protested this morning in Schwerin.

The Bavarian taxi association proposes a rapid transitional solution in light of the energy price developments. A fixed surcharge per ride could apply until autumn 2026 – with a clearly defined exit mechanism.

With minimum transport fares and a tariff corridor of minus 20 to plus 20 percent, the city is reacting to market distortions. An evaluation after one year is planned.

The city council has approved an adjustment to the base fare, surcharges, and per-kilometre rates. From May 2026, prices will rise, and a further increase will follow in January 2027. In the future, taxis will also be required to enable cashless payments.

If a platform provider uses its own app to warn about political decisions, that's more than a technical update. With the new option "UberTeuert" Uber stages in Cologne a kind of real-world laboratory: Users see prices that could apply in the future should a minimum charge for rental cars be introduced. The message is clear – and it is pointed.

At both terminals, dedicated pickup zones are being established. According to the provider, the ride into the city costs on average up to €36 cheaper than the taxi flat rate.

Dortmund aims to reorganize competition in its passenger transport market. Two central steps are planned: an adjustment of taxi tariffs and minimum prices for ride-hailing platforms such as Uber or Bolt. The city justifies this with a simple argument: Without regulation, the traditional taxi sector faces going under—and with it reliable mobility for all.

The cathedral city wants to set minimum fares for taxi-like services. A leading platform provider supports the move – but at the same time calls for reforms at federal level.

After Essen, policymakers now also want to reorganize competition in Dortmund's ride-hailing market. In the future, there should be no price difference for passengers whether they order a taxi or a car via platforms such as Uber or Bolt — minimum prices should be introduced.

The Donnersberg district, whose administrative seat is Kirchheimbolanden, lies in the North Palatinate. The overwhelming part of its area belongs to the North Palatine Uplands. Also in this idyllic region, the cost of living is rising – starting in March the taxi tariffs are to be adjusted.

The longstanding vice president and chairman of the Federal Curia of employed doctors is facing a motion of no confidence that is to be discussed at the curia meeting next Thursday. The triggers are reports of high remuneration and controversial travel reimbursements. But at least the taxi industry has benefited from Mayer's misdeeds…

Solingen catches up with the policy formation on the minimum fare. For the Federal Association of Taxi and Rental Cars (BVTM) Managing Director Michael Oppermann comments on Solingen's decision to reverse the recently introduced regulation on minimum fares for rental-car rides.

With a hastily issued general order, the city of Solingen has set minimum prices for rental cars. From now on, rental car rides that are brokered through platforms such as Uber may no longer be offered at less than 91 percent of the local taxi tariff. The regulation is intended to curb price-dumping in the market – and has drawn clear approval from the Bundesverband Taxi und Mietwagen e.V. (BVTM).

Passengers in Schwerin will have to contend with rising costs. As of the turn of the year 2026, new tariffs will come into effect, affecting base prices, per-kilometre charges and waiting times. Higher fees will also apply to accessible taxis.

In Austria, the system of passenger transport was fundamentally reorganized five years ago. With the introduction of the so-called unitary trade, the legislator ended the long coexistence of taxi and hire-car trades.

"Death of the taxi industry because of Uber? Hardly!" — that's how it was titled in the ImPuls column series by journalist Minh Thu Tran. The managing director of the Association of Private Commercial Road Passenger Transport in North Rhine-Westphalia e.V. (VSPV), Sascha Waltemate, could not let that stand and "took to the keyboard." Here is his polished and detailed rebuttal.

The Federal Association of Taxi and Private Hire Vehicles (BVTM) welcomes the decision of the Essen City Council to introduce binding minimum prices for private hire vehicle journeys from January 1, 2026. This will make Essen the first city with more than 500,000 residents to make use of this new legal option to create fair market conditions in the mobility sector.

Hamburg is embarking on an experiment. Since February 2025, a two-year trial phase has been underway in which fixed prices and a fare corridor for taxi rides are to be established. The aim is to develop a solution tailored to the Hanseatic city and the needs of taxi operators.

Since February 2025, passengers in Hamburg have been able to order a taxi at a fixed price. Unlike in Berlin or Munich, however, a so-called fare corridor was not introduced – meaning the option to deviate from the regular taxi fare upward or downward. This decision has drawn criticism from the ride-hailing platforms Free Now and Uber.

In Mainz, pressure is mounting on the city administration to reorganize the competition between taxis and private hire vehicle companies. Representatives of the taxi industry and the Mobility and Logistics Association Rhineland-Palatinate (MOLO) spoke last week with the Traffic Monitoring Office – and urged the introduction of minimum fares for private hire vehicles.

At the meeting in the Federal Ministry of Transport, central topics of the taxi and rental car industry were discussed. In addition to combating illegal rental cars, the introduction of minimum tariffs and the promotion of alternative vehicle drives were especially on the agenda.

Leipzig currently offers a glimpse into the political stalemate between regulation and withdrawal. These days, if you get into some taxis in Leipzig, you’ll notice the change: the logo of Uber is prominently displayed in large letters on the driver's door. Some drivers now even offer their services exclusively through the app of the US company.

Leipzig forgoes minimum prices for rental cars – sending a disastrous signal. The decision by the major Saxon city not to set minimum fees for the rental car industry is causing discontent within the sector.

In the debate about fair competition in passenger transport, the university city is drawing a clear line: As the first major city in Germany, Heidelberg is introducing binding minimum tariffs for rental car providers like Uber.

With these striking words, Gregor Beiner, CEO of the Munich Taxi Center, commented on the city's decision not to introduce minimum prices for ride-hailing services like Uber or Bolt for the time being. The taxi entrepreneurs of Munich are raising their voices! Finally, one might almost say, because the noble restraint before the city council's decision had not paid off.

Munich's decision against minimum prices for rental car providers - from the outside, it seems like a small act. However, the decision by the Munich city council to forego minimum prices for rental cars in app-based transport could have greater consequences than Mayor Dieter Reiter is willing to acknowledge.

After months accompanied by protests, political struggles, and diplomatic interventions, the city of Munich now finally seems ready to introduce a minimum price for rides with platform providers like Uber and Bolt – thereby setting a precedent that is likely to be noticed beyond the city's borders.

At the meeting in Munich, fair competition conditions in passenger transport are brought into focus. Hubert Aiwanger appeared well informed and assured support in the fight against unfair competition with Uber & Co.

Munich is at a turning point. At the end of the month, the city council will vote on whether ride-hailing platforms like Uber should adhere to minimum prices in the future. Michael Oppermann from BVTM speaks of a "pioneering decision."