Taxi drivers in Munich demonstrate outside the town hall for a second time - Taxi drivers in Munich demonstrate outside city hall in protest
Munich Taxi Industry Continues Protest Against Delay in Minimum Fare Implementation
The Munich Taxi Association and the Federal Association of Taxi and Mietwagen led a protest at Marienplatz on a recent day, voicing their concerns about the delay in implementing minimum prices for all ride services, including Uber and Bolt.
Approximately 150 participants gathered on Marienplatz in the morning, with five taxis parked in front of the city hall and around 110 more vehicles parked in the area of Odeonsplatz. The demonstration was a repeat of a noisy protest that occurred on Tuesday in front of the city hall.
Gregor Beiner, chairman of the Munich Taxi Association and the Federal Association of Taxi and Mietwagen, made a statement before the protest. Beiner stated that Munich's mayor, Dieter Reiter, would hear from them during the protest. Beiner also indicated that the taxi industry is fighting for its livelihood and won't give up until minimum prices for all ride services are implemented.
The protest ended at noon and was described as "uneventful" by a police spokesperson.
The future of the taxi industry in Munich remains uncertain, as they are fighting for the implementation of minimum prices for all ride services. Originally, the city council's administrative committee, comprising of SPD and CSU/Free Voters, had approved a motion to negotiate agreements with companies like Uber and Bolt regarding prices and minimum fares in Munich. To create equal competitive conditions, a minimum fare of 5.42 euros (basic) and 2.57 euros (per kilometer) is proposed for ride-hailing services. However, as of late July 2025, the city council's decision is still pending.
The applicants, two city council factions of Greens/Rosa Liste and SPD/Volt, had criticized the "ruinous competition" between the heavily regulated taxi industry and providers like Uber and Bolt. The SPD, one of the city council factions, is involved in the motion to negotiate agreements with companies like Uber and Bolt regarding prices and minimum fares in Munich.
Despite earlier plans and discussions about establishing minimum fares for Uber and Bolt rides in Munich, no minimum price regulation has been adopted as of the end of July 2025. This decision has drawn criticism from the local taxi industry, with Gregor Beiner, CEO of the Munich Taxi Center, expressing strong disapproval, calling the city’s decision "castrating itself" in terms of supporting local taxi drivers.
Traffic in Munich continues to be affected by the ongoing competition between the taxi industry and ride-hailing services like Uber and Bolt. It remains to be seen whether the city council will approve the proposed minimum fares and bring some relief to the struggling taxi industry.
- The Munich Taxi Association and the Federal Association of Taxi and Mietwagen, representing the taxi industry, are advocating for the implementation of minimum fares to create equal competitive conditions with ride-hailing services such as Uber and Bolt in the finance sector.
- The ongoing protest by the Munich Taxi Industry against the delay in minimum fare implementation in the transportation sector primarily focuses on the disputed decision made by the city council, which affects the livelihood of local taxi drivers and the overall community policy regarding fair competition.
