Unions

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.

(dpa/fk) A designated waiting area in the airport vicinity is meant to improve the digital matching of passengers with available taxis. The guild calls on Berlin, Brandenburg and the airport operator to review the concept together.

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.

Dumping prices for rental cars, precarious working conditions and the future of autonomous mobility: The Federal Association of Taxi and Rental Cars has spoken with the Green Party politician Tarek Al-Wazir about the challenges of the industry.

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.

While autonomous ride services are already in operation in the USA and China, Europe is examining their integration into existing mobility offerings. The Federal Association of Taxi and Rental Cars wants to advocate for the industry's interests early on.

The partnership aims to simplify access to digital payment methods for taxi and rental-car operators. In addition to a smartphone app, the payment service provider offers a separate device and time-limited special terms.

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 European taxi trade fair continues to grow: In early November, Hall 1 at Koelnmesse will become the meeting point for taxi and rental car companies from across Europe. In addition to 93 exhibitors, political debates, future mobility topics, and a raffle with a BYD Seal Plug-in Hybrid as the grand prize are on the agenda.

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.

The umbrella association of the transport industry in Lower Saxony (GVN) has brought together industry representatives in Bad Nenndorf. The technical program included tax issues, wage structuring, and dealing with work-related pressure.

The electrification of vehicle fleets is seen as the key to the transport transition. At the Urban Charge Conference in Cologne, however, it became clear: For the taxi and rental car industry, not only new technologies determine success, but above all reliable policy framework conditions and a nationwide charging infrastructure.

Bus and rail are regarded as the backbone of public transport. But in many places, traditional scheduled services no longer suffice to meet people's mobility needs. A new summit, organized by BVTM, therefore aims to open up the debate—and to bring taxis, on-demand services, and new mobility forms more into focus.

Das Taxi fährt vielerorts bereits dort, wo Busse selten unterwegs sind. Der Mobilitätsverband VSPV fordert deshalb, Taxis künftig stärker als Bestandteil des öffentlichen Nahverkehrs zu nutzen. Bei einem Treffen mit dem Bundestagsabgeordneten Henning Rehbaum warb der Verband für das Konzept des ÖPNV-Taxis und einen neuen Blick auf die Mobilität im ländlichen Raum.

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.

After the election to the Berlin House of Representatives, the SPD loses its traffic expert Tino Schopf. The North Rhine-Westphalia mobility association VSPV responds to this with clear criticism and calls on the SPD leadership to continue relying on his expertise in transport and mobility policy.

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.

How can taxi fares be made digitally available and taxi stands be found more easily? During the NRW.MOBIDROM GmbH's open house day, the VSPV discussed with authorities, municipalities and mobility service providers about data provision, digital infrastructure and the future of mobility-related information in NRW..

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 current SPD transport spokesperson is stepping down from the Berlin state parliament. The Taxi and Rental Car Association Germany is now putting Schopf forward for a role in the Berlin administration.

The Mobility Association welcomes the planned relief on gasoline and diesel in principle. For taxi, non-emergency medical transport, and bus companies, however, it only compensates a small portion of the rising fuel costs.

Up to 20 percent of companies in Lower Saxony could, according to the association, lose their economic base. The delayed tariff adjustments are a problem, as operating costs are rising.

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.

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.

Shortly before the Berlin state election, the mobility platform Bolt is distributing 1,000 free doner kebabs. While the company is mobilizing against planned minimum prices in the taxi and rental-car sector, the Federal Association of Taxi and Rental Cars speaks of a political advertising campaign with a questionable message.

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.

Taxi and rental-car companies see themselves not only as mobility service providers but also as part of the local community's social life. In a conversation with CSU Member of the Bundestag Stephan Mayer, the VSPV advocated that the industry's voluntary engagement be given greater consideration in the political debate.

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.

In Berlin, representatives of the Federal Association of Taxi and Rental Cars spoke with Bliq about new mobility models. It wasn't just theory: The delegation also tested an autonomous vehicle on public roads.

The taxi and rental car industry is facing important legal and economic turning points. At the action day for ride services on September 19 in Ahlen, industry representatives, lawyers and entrepreneurs will discuss two topics that directly affect the future of many businesses: the GKV Contribution Rate Stabilization Act and the consequences of a recent court decision on taxi special agreements.

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.

The mobility association VSPV and the Taxpayers' Federation want to cooperate even more closely in the future. At the center are economic policy issues, the interests of small and medium-sized enterprises, and questions of mobility and infrastructure policy. For VSPV members, the cooperation also brings a concrete added value: They will receive one year of free access to the services of the Taxpayers' Federation.

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).

Member companies can obtain vehicles from Volkswagen, BYD and Ford, including industry-specific upfitting. For BYD, there are three equipment packages to choose from.

Following talks in Hanover, the cooperation is to restart at the beginning of the year. The focus is on joint positions on the political, economic, and structural challenges facing the industry.

The planned reform of the cash-register regulations is intended to make tax evasion more difficult and to improve the traceability of business transactions. In the taxi and rental-car industry, the plan is generally welcomed. But even before the legislative process is completed, a new conflict is looming.

For a long time, sustainability was mainly considered a topic for industrial companies, energy providers or large corporations. In the meantime, the view has changed. Climate protection, resource efficiency and social responsibility have also become important competitive factors in the transport sector – the taxi trade is already putting this into practice.

The challenges facing the taxi and rental car industry are diverse: rising costs, the competition with platform providers, the shortage of skilled workers, and political debates about the future of passenger transport. The Taxi Federation of Lower Saxony therefore relies on direct dialogue with the business owners on site. This week, a dialogue tour is stopping in five cities in Lower Saxony.

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 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.

The debate about the future of public transport has been caught in a contradiction for years. On the one hand, the expansion of buses and trains is being invoked as the key to the mobility transition. On the other hand, crowded trains, reduced schedules, and poorly served regions show that conventional line services alone cannot solve many mobility problems.

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.

(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.

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 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.

It is still only a discussion. But even the possibility already causes unrest in many companies. The federal government is considering abolishing the tax- and social-security-related special status of mini-jobs as part of a comprehensive reform of the social security systems. The BVTM asks in the industry.

The SMART/LAB Innovationsgesellschaft mbH (Smartlab) offers BVTM members an exclusive charging card offer. This makes it easier for Smartlab to enter electromobility and at the same time enables access to a Europe-wide charging network.

With GO Fleet, the association is bringing on a provider that develops, among other things, solutions for wheelchair- and stretcher transports. The focus is on taxis, rental cars, ride services and patient transports.

Sometimes the future of an industry is decided in a paragraph that hardly anyone outside of professional circles knows, or: why a draft bill in Berlin is currently occupying not only health insurers, but also taxi and car-rental companies.

The long-serving vice president of the German Taxi and Car Rental Association is ending her tenure on the Presidium. The association has already set the timetable for the succession.

A letter from a federal ministry can sometimes mean the end of an initiative for associations. For the Mobility Association VSPV, it was the start of a new round of talks, because a provisional “No” simply means that more persuasion work must be done.

After the stop of the 1,000-euro relief premium, the German Taxi and Rental Car Association warns of higher levies for businesses.

The federal association used the industry gathering to present concepts for autonomous driving and the ÖPNV-Taxi as part of future mobility offerings.

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.

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