Law, contracts

The association welcomes the constructive talks with the Lord Mayor, the city administration and the SPD faction, but demands a more consistent application of the PBefG. The focus of the talks were permits, operating bases and the enforcement of the return-to-base obligation.

Since September 2025, Uber has been arranging rides in Ulm and Neu-Ulm. A year later, the question arises as to how much competition the local taxi trade can endure—and whether policymakers and authorities will ensure fair conditions. As passengers benefit from low prices, taxi operators fear for their economic livelihood.

Less bureaucracy, less protection? The North Rhine-Westphalian industry association VSPV calls on Federal Transport Minister Steffen Bilger not to lower the safety standards for volunteer transport services. Before any changes, the evaluation of the Exemption Regulation, which has been pending since 2021, must take place.

While rental car rides sometimes cost less than half of a taxi ride, the city is examining regulatory interventions. A legal opinion is intended to provide clarity. Decisions from Munich, Cologne, Essen and Leipzig illustrate the risks.

Following the Munich court ruling, the association calls for the abandonment of additional price floors. Instead, stricter controls, transparent offers and greater tariff flexibility should shape the competition.

The Mobility Association honors the former Federal Minister of Transport with a certificate of appreciation. Managing Director Sascha Waltemate and Patrick Meinhardt, Head of the Capital Office, highlight the close cooperation and open discussions about the future of the industry.

The Administrative Court of Munich objects to the geographic scope of the municipal minimum-price regulation for rental cars. The Federal Association of Taxi and Car Rental points to Dortmund as a possible model for an adjustment.

The VSPV has personally handed over its position paper on the reform of the Passenger Transport Act to Federal Minister of Transport Steffen Bilger. The association calls for a reorientation of regulation: away from historical distinctions between taxi and rental cars, toward a digital mobility system with clearly defined tasks.

The VSPV awarded the Berlin transport policy-maker Tino Schopf a certificate of appreciation. In doing so, the association honors his long-standing commitment to fair competitive conditions, the rule of law, and the interests of taxi and rental-car companies.

Following the deadly accident of a ten-year-old boy during a medical transport in Baden-Württemberg, the case is once again before the courts. The legal investigation brings to the fore a question that has always accompanied the taxi trade: What responsibility do drivers bear when they transport people who cannot protect themselves?

In autumn the evaluation of the Passenger Transport Act (PBefG) is on the political agenda. The mobility association VSPV gets involved early in the debate and has handed a position paper to the CDU transport politician Michael Donth. The experiences of the past five years are at the center — and the demand for greater legal certainty for municipalities and the business sector.

Autobahn pilots and automated driving functions are increasingly making their way into modern vehicles. But many drivers overestimate the capabilities of the technology – and underestimate their own duties. A look at the Road Traffic Act shows why the responsibility in 2026 remains with the human behind the wheel.

The introduction of new requirements for taximeters and trip meters is drawing closer. At the Lower Saxony Taxi and Rental Car Day in Bad Nenndorf, the BVTM made clear that it deems amendments necessary in the planned cash-register law. The central question is whether the same rules should apply to all modes of transport.

Rising wages, higher operating costs and a new statutory cap on remuneration are putting patient transport under pressure. At an action day in Ahlen, lawyers and industry representatives discussed the consequences of the GKV Contribution Rate Stabilization Act—and the question of whether patient transports can still be provided economically in the future.

Rising costs for patient transport, the competition with platform-mediated rental cars, and the design of public tenders occupied the annual Taxi and Rental Car Conference in Bad Kreuznach. Associations, entrepreneurs, and licensing authorities discussed, above all, one question: How can fair competition be ensured before problems arise?

The cost curve in the taxi and rental-car industry continues to rise. The Rhineland Association of the Transport Industry warns of growing economic risks and calls on both health insurance funds and the licensing authorities to act. At the center are patient transports, taxi fares, and the question of how mobility should be funded in the future.

Hardly any state-level politician has in recent years engaged so intensively with the challenges of Berlin's taxi trade as Tino Schopf. The SPD transport-policy politician repeatedly advocated for stricter controls in the rental car market, supported the introduction of a minimum fare, and participated in numerous discussions on the regulation of platform-mediated passenger transport. On Sunday, he is once again running for a seat in the Berlin House of Representatives.

The Taxi and Rental Car Association of Germany has spoken with CDU transport policy politician Henning Rehbaum about changes to the Passenger Transport Act and digital inspections in the taxi and rental-car industry.

The TMV has placed its demands for a reform of the passenger transport law in the Bundestag. In a conversation with the Green Party MP Victoria Broßart, the focus was mainly on platform ride-hailing cars, the cash-register requirement, and the economic situation of the operators.

The Mobility Association VSPV and the Social Association of Germany (SoVD) want to push the Inclusion Taxi forward politically. At a meeting in Berlin, the two organizations agreed on further steps to permanently anchor the service in social law and to establish it as a fixed component of an inclusive public transport system.

Five years after the reform of the Passenger Transport Act (PBefG), the BVTM (Federal Association of Taxi and Rental Cars) advocates targeted further development of the legal framework. Central to this are digital matchmaking platforms, stronger enforcement of existing regulations, and greater leeway for municipalities.

With the reappointment of Christian Hirte as State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Transport, the mobility association VSPV has clear expectations. The association calls for a comprehensive evaluation of the Passenger Transport Act (PBefG) and advocates for a broad dialogue about the future of taxi, rental cars, and public transport.

Platform economy, competition distortions and the question of how mobility in rural areas can be secured: The VSPV is seeking to join forces with an influential partner of the German economy, the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (DIHK).

For driverless regular operation, providers must undergo a three-stage authorization process. In the event of accidents, there are also special liability limits for autonomous vehicles.

Right of way in road traffic is regarded as one of the clearest principles. Those on a priority road may generally rely on other road users to yield. But this trust has its limits. This is impressively demonstrated by a ruling of the Frankenthal Regional Court dated August 14, 2026.

Following indications of potentially waiting rental cars, the police in Bad Kreuznach checked two vehicles in the vicinity of the fair. Whether the drivers have violated the applicable transport regulations is still being investigated.

In Cologne, Essen, and Munich, minimum prices for rental cars are under legal review. The Federal Association of Taxi and Car Rental sees the procedures as part of the development of a robust legal practice.

The second bellwether trial in the US mass tort case over alleged sexual assaults also ends in a defeat for Uber. The renewed finding that Uber can be held liable for the conduct of a driver placed by Uber strengthens the position of the now nearly 4,000 plaintiffs.

The planned regulations are intended to curb tax fraud. However, the Federal Association of Taxi and Hire Cars sees the danger that platform-mediated transport will be privileged over traditional operators.

(dpa) The new price guidelines have only been in effect since the beginning of July. Now they are keeping the judiciary busy – and Bolt already reports a 44 percent drop in demand.

(dpa/lnw) The administrative court regards Cologne's taxi fare regulations as likely illegal. The city is opposing this and is appealing to the Higher Administrative Court.

Why the platform economy in the car rental market still fails to live up to its own rules – and why the return obligation is more relevant than ever. A short story from the capital.

(dpa) A vehicle comes off the guide rails during cleaning and collides with a post. A final and binding judgment shows which conditions must be met for damages to be payable.

Higher fines, a greater responsibility for intermediaries, and a review of the Passenger Transport Act: The association presents its demands to the new Federal Minister of Transport.

Turbulent days in Berlin. First the surprising ouster of Patrick Schnieder, then the already-discussed successor Fritz Güntzler – and now Steffen Bilger takes over the Ministry of Transport. The taxi trade is now looking on with anticipation at the new man at the top.

The evaluation of the reform of the PBefG was supposed to provide answers. Instead, it has raised mainly new questions. At least the VSPV has come to this conclusion, which, through the investigation by the Federal Highway Research Institute (BASt), sees its criticism of parts of the reform as confirmed.

The news came as a surprise, even though it had apparently been in preparation in Berlin for days. Federal Minister of Transport Patrick Schnieder (CDU) loses his post as part of a cabinet reshuffle. According to information from the Deutsche Presse-Agentur and ARD's Hauptstadtstudio, the CDU member of the Bundestag from Lower Saxony, Fritz Güntzler, is set to take over the post. An official confirmation had not yet been issued.

Teltow-Fläming now has more authorized rental cars than Berlin, according to the association. The TMV sees a link with the increased enforcement pressure in the capital and calls for a cross-state response.

The evaluation of the modernization adopted in 2021 is facing criticism from the Federal Association of Taxi and Rental Cars. The association demands, among other things, new guidelines for rental cars, minimum fares, and card payments.

(dpa/tmn) A taxi driver initially drove into an intersection on a green light and then moved onto a turning lane that was closed to traffic due to a red signal. The Bavarian Supreme State Court regards this as a red-light violation – regardless of whether other road users were actually endangered.

(dpa) Preliminary analyses indicate an incomplete pass-through of the tax relief. At the same time, new procedures are intended to create greater transparency regarding price formation and costs.

The association sees a need for action in the revision of the Passenger Transport Act. The focus is on platform responsibility, digitalization, and the stronger integration of taxis into public transport.

(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.

By now, in the tranquil district south of the federal capital, there is one rental car for every 111 inhabitants. Such figures, at first glance, seem like a statistical outlier, but they are in fact an alarming signal of bureaucratic inaction and administrative failure.

Two-day workshop for the future of the trades - nearly 100 entrepreneurs, association representatives, lawyers, software developers and service providers gathered for the TMV Think Tank on June 25 and 26 in the Bamberg Aufseesianum. High temperatures and heated discussions included!

The number of rental cars has risen to 1,357 vehicles over the past two years. According to the district administration, inspections have so far only been carried out to a limited extent. The SPD says there is a substantial need to improve oversight.

The PBefG symposium showed which instruments cities are currently using and what experiences they have gained in regulating rental-car traffic.

A meeting between politics and industry representatives brings the taxi trade's central demands back into focus and highlights common areas for action.

The challenges facing the taxi and rental car industry are not getting any smaller. Platform providers are pushing into the market, the discussion about the return-to-base requirement occupies courts and authorities, in the patient-transport sector payments are increasingly under pressure, and at the same time digitalization is changing the rules of the game for the industry. Those seeking guidance at the moment could find it in Bamberg at the end of June.

A municipal study is sparking new debates about Uber, rental cars, and competition in passenger transport. On Monday, the taxi industry intends to publicly press its demands.

120 representatives from licensing and traffic authorities discussed in Essen the minimum fare charges, market regulation and enforcement in the rental-car sector.

Five years are a long time in the mobility industry. When the reform of the Passenger Transport Act (PBefG) came into force in August 2021, the political goal was clear: New mobility providers should receive a legal framework without upending the existing taxi and rental-car trade.

At the meeting with Federal Minister of Transport Schnieder, BVTM puts forward its key demands regarding robotaxis, PBefG evaluation, and the role of taxis in rural areas.

The association regards the ruling on the return obligation as clarifying the legal situation. Now compliance must be monitored, violations sanctioned, and general contractors held more accountable.

The Federal Court of Justice reinforces the existing regulation, but points to unresolved questions of European law. In view of the evaluation report in August 2026, a possible amendment to the Passenger Transport Act comes into focus.

(dpa) A driver stopped for twelve minutes after a ride and accepted a test order. The Federal Court of Justice has now ruled that this violates the return-to-base obligation for rental cars.

The Association of Private Commercial Road Passenger Transport in North Rhine-Westphalia handed Federal Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder a position paper on the revision of the Passenger Transport Act last week. In it, the association, according to its own statements, outlines a concept for a functionally differentiated, digitally coordinated and EU-law-compliant regulation of on-demand transport. At the same time, it clearly distances itself from the newly founded Federal Association of Passenger Transport.

New association with clear demands

The Federal Association of Passenger Transport, currently being formed, presents itself publicly as the representative of a modern market order. According to the VSPV, however, it is not an established industry association, but the initiative of a single market participant. Its founder reportedly comes from parcel logistics, operates a rental car fleet brokered via the Bolt platform, and, according to his own statements, takes over taxi companies almost daily.

In the Berlin House of Representatives, a motion will be discussed in early June, in which the SPD and CDU press for changes to the Passenger Transport Act. The focus is on digital oversight, greater market transparency, and stricter rules for platform-mediated ride-hailing traffic.

The taxi should be strengthened as part of public service provision, and digital ride-hailing platforms should be clearly brought under regulatory responsibility.