Taxi Association: Without An Obligation To Return, The Taxi Industry Is Dead

2023 Author: Eric Donovan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-27 05:39

The taxi industry sees its very existence threatened by transport service providers like Uber. Accordingly, one calls for giving in to the reform of the transport service market and maintaining the obligation to return.

The Taxi and Rental Car Association made a corresponding request to Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer (CSU). "Without an obligation to return, the taxi industry is dead," said association chief Michael Müller of the German press agency.

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Until now, rental car companies with drivers - such as Uber - have been obliged to return: They have to return to the main location after each trip and, unlike taxis, are not allowed to wait for customers on the street.

Abolition of the obligation to return is being considered

In February, Scheuer presented key points for a reform of the Passenger Transport Act. It said that the obligation to return for rental car companies with drivers should be abolished. In a theses paper now available from the ministry, three options are mentioned - the first says that the obligation to return for rental cars without orders will remain. Alternatively, it is said that the municipalities could allow exceptions.

The "Handelsblatt" reported on the paper available to the dpa. A “search committee” with representatives from the federal states and parliamentary groups recently met on the planned reform. They should meet again in the fall.

Fear of precarious employment

"For us only option 1 is conceivable," said Müller. "If municipalities alone were allowed to decide on the obligation to return, there would be an immense wave of controls on cities and municipalities." Neither money nor personnel would be available for this. "In the US, Uber and Co have virtually flooded the city centers with vehicles," said Müller.

«More cars, more precarious employment, more traffic jams, even poorer air, poorer utilization of buses and trains. We don't have to repeat these mistakes. If Mr. Scheuer opts for the unconditional obligation to return, millions of residents of the big German cities will thank him."

The Green transport politician Stefan Gelbhaar said that the thesis paper of the search committee was a record of messed up transport policy. It cannot be that Scheuer is shifting responsibility for the obligation to return to the municipalities. "A modular system is required to approve the various mobility services on site." (dpa)