125 years of Berlin taxi business: a farewell full of melancholy!

125 years of Berlin taxi business: a farewell full of melancholy!

Berlin, Deutschland - The 125th anniversary of the taxi commercial is celebrated in Berlin with a wistful view of the past. The exhibition in the Spandauer Motor Company shows impressive images and exhibits, including COURPLESS STYING GIFTS Next to a Mercedes-Benz decorated with flowers and a historic taximeter. But these celebrations do not come without challenges, with a worrying decline in sales in the Berlin taxi business, which are only 15 euros per hour.

Michael Gatowski, operator of the Spandau taxi service, expresses his existence in view of the competition by app -based services such as Uber and Bolt, which not only offer comparable trips, but also confronted with allegations of tax evasion and social dumping. The number of members of the guild and the taxi association has dropped alarming, and the number of approved taxi movements has decreased from over 8,400 to under 5,570.

challenges for the taxi business

Hermann Waldner, an important representative of the trade and new head of the Berlin taxi center, urgently calls for improvements in the Personal Transport Act (PBefG) to protect the taxis. He points out that the number of rental cars in Berlin has increased from almost 2,000 to 4,600. This is done in addition to the legal operation of over 2,000 other rental cars, which often operate illegally in the "System Uber".

A report of the ARD polite magazine contrast has shown that a third of the rental cars operate legally, acts a third with reduced income and another third is completely black. Waldner emphasizes that increased controls and regulatory measures are necessary to create fair competitive conditions. He proposes the introduction of minimum charges for rental cars and the permission of fixed prices for pre -ordered trips, similar to how in Munich.

The situation in Berlin

The pressure on the Berlin taxi business continues to increase. Traffic senator Ute Bonde and others from the Berlin Senate Department are already discussing possible solutions, such as the introduction of minimum tariffs for rental car traffic. The approval processes of the State Office for Citizens' and Ordinary Matters were tightened, and 143 applications for new rental car companies were rejected in 2022, while 74 permits were revoked in 2024

In addition, there is a remarkable increase in electrotaxis in the city, now over 300 vehicles, with the aim of reaching the thousand brand. Despite this technological development, the quality of the service remains an often unnoticed topic, while the local science examination for taxi drivers has no longer been necessary since 2021.

with around 53,500 taxis nationwide, with most of them can be found in North Rhine-Westphalia, the situation in Berlin is unique. While other federal states have fewer challenges in the taxi market, the uncertainty in Berlin is reflected. The transition phase of the taxi business is characterized by a meeting of traditional service providers with innovative, technology -driven providers.