Taxi business - Berlin's city administration prepares for set taxi fares.
Now, customers in Berlin can agree on a set price for their taxi trip. This decision was made on Tuesday during a conference in Brussels by the Senate. Berlin is following in the footsteps of Munich, as per Transport Senator Ute Bonde (CDU). This fixed-price system includes a tariff range based on the journey's length. However, no exact start date was provided before the EU Football Championship on June 14. The system presently excludes trips from the BER airport.
Taxi companies have been requesting fixed prices for a long time. By doing so, they anticipate improved competition against ride-hailing services like Uber or Bolt, increased demand, and rising revenues. With these platforms, travellers are able to see the cost of their planned journey in advance, which prevents alterations to the price post-booking due to traffic delays or detours.
The president of the German Taxi and Limo Association (TMV), Thomas Kroker, believes the Berlin Senate should not "waste time halfway". "Fixed pricing for taxis should also apply to minimum prices for limousines. Otherwise, the fixed pricing will fail as it can be easily undercut by irresponsible opponents."
Controversy over ride-hailing services
Recently, ride-hailing services have faced criticism for operating countless cars in Berlin without permits. The Senate recently banned a quarter of all rental cars from these platforms. The State Office for Civil and Administrative Affairs (LABO) had examined over 8900 vehicles. TMV requests more staff at this agency to effectively govern taxis in and around Berlin, particularly undetected.
To clarify, Bonde explained that a fixed-price and tariff range regulation doesn't encompass trips from BER Airport to Berlin as of the Senate's decree on Tuesday. She believes this can be achieved shortly after discussions with the Berlin Brandenburg Airport Authority and Brandenburg district of Dahme-Spreewald.
Passengers might identify fixed-price rides in taxis from July 1st onwards at the soonest. The adjustment of all devices inside the vehicles may require time until then.
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- Customers flying into BER Airport will still need to pay the usual taxi fares, as the fixed-price system does not apply to trips from the airport at this time.
- Following Munich's example, Ute Bonde from the CDU, Berlin's Senate, proposed a fixed-price system for taxis, aiming to improve competition against ride-hailing services like Uber or Bolt.
- The decision to implement a fixed-price system in taxis was made at a conference in Brussels by the Berlin Senate, which includes a tariff range based on the journey's length.
- Ride-hailing services like Uber and Bolt offer travellers the advantage of seeing the exact cost of their journey in advance, eliminating any unexpected price alterations due to traffic or detours.
- Thomas Kroker, the president of the German Taxi and Limo Association (TMV), suggested extending the fixed pricing to minimum prices for limousines to avoid competition with irresponsible opponents.
- TMV has requested additional staff at the State Office for Civil and Administrative Affairs (LABO) to effectively regulate taxis in Berlin, especially undetected rental cars operating without permits.
- Bonde plans to discuss the inclusion of trips from BER Airport to Berlin in the fixed-price system with the Berlin Brandenburg Airport Authority and Brandenburg district of Dahme-Spreewald out of consideration for passengers and taxi drivers alike.
Source: www.stern.de
