By: Wim Faber, Challans & Faber
Every two years a large part of the – mainly German – taxi world flocks to Cologne for the European Taxi Trade Show. It used to be a massive German event and still is the largest taxi event in Europe. On the show’s second day, 900 excited German taxi operators packed the hall for the traditional prize raffle in which a Volkswagen Touran, a small VW-model, could be won, as long as the winner could show his or her taxi license on the spot. Meanwhile German colleagues worry about the unfettered and unchecked onslaught of Uber & Co and to counter that, in major cities offer new fixed fares in popular ‘fare-corridors’ so clients know what to expect in fares. At the same time, they’re campaigning for minimum fares for Private Hire Vehicles (PHV)
International feel – a first this year
For the first time this 8-9 November edition – again held in Cologne, after a 2022 switch to neigbouring Essen – had a truly international feel in visitors and exhibitors. The show to me felt truly European for the first time in its history. It also covered some interesting (international) trends. About a third of the exhibitors and quite a few of the 8,000 visitors came from neighbouring countries, mainly from Scandinavia. The Finns had dispatched a whole group to Cologne. One exhibitor showed he was prepared for their traditional visit and had stuffed his fridges with beer and other booze. There were Austrians, Swiss, visitors from Ireland and the UK, Dutch. Luxemburgers and Bulgarians. Excuse me if I missed a nationality. The lack of a truly international conference, before or adjacent to the show, dampened the interest of many other foreigners to come to Cologne.
Goodbye Mercedes-Benz?
In its exhibitors and conference sessions, the event, traditionally organized by Germany’s smaller taxi trade association TMV showed truly international developments. From its start the show – decades ago with well over a 110 exhibitors in two large exhibition halls (now 82, in almost one hall on much smaller stands) - was dominated by Mercedes-Benz. The brand was always present with a huge stand, with all models used in the German taxi trade, attracting large crowds for the much sought-after giveaways. Volkswagen was the other major pillar of the trade show. Both cab producers each organized a large lavish evening programme for their favourite taxi customers, but no longer. Instead taxi operators in Facebook-groups organized their own parties, mainly in local Cologne breweries. Many foreigners ended up in one or two Irish pubs – probably due to iCabbi’s lead and due to its parent company Renault Mobilize not having a stand at the show.
The backbone of the taxi suppliers: Volkswagen and Toyota
Chinese newcomers BYD and Nio, no diesel cabs
Except for other exhibitors showing the odd Mercedes-Benz product, mainly vans, and some oldie taxis, the star-brand was practically gone from the show and doesn’t really show much interest in the German taxi trade anymore. Previously Mercedes-Benz' E-Class was by far the leading brand in the German taxi trade and links between the trade and Mercedes-Benz were close. No longer. Although Mercedes is preparing vans for use by the taxi trade, classic saloon models now have to be retrofitted with a taxi package. Volkswagen, Toyota and Volvo, with much smaller stands, only filled in part of the Mercedes gap, with Chinese newcomers (at least in the taxi and PHV trade) BYD and Nio on mini-stands. E-taxi, hybrid or diesel wasn’t the question. There were no diesel cabs – except the oldies.
Dispatching systems (many from foreign parts) and numerous van converters (from simple options to very innovative ones) were in the majority, before rent-a-cab providers, insurance companies, meter and communication suppliers, transport associations, transport management providers, app-companies and a whole lot more. Very noticeable: the eerie black spots left open because a supplier pulled out at the last minute. Space management, hiding the many empty holes, is obviously not the organizers' forte. One major supplier to the taxi trade put a sticker on the cabs on his stand saying that they were also available in an Uber-version. The sticker didn’t last a day. The taxi customers were furious.
Content: Berlin’s chaos
What pre-occupies German colleagues? With Uber, Bolt and FreeNow (now given up on channeling work through PHV’s in Germany and working with the taxi trade), increasing their grip on one city after another, regulation or better lack of it remains an important topic. For a well- if not over-regulated - country like Germany, the lack in proper regulation on city- and regional level is mindboggling. The case of Berlin’s chaos is a case in point: in two, three years the number of taxis in the capital has dropped from 8.500 to 5.000 (a small number for a region with 6,2 million inhabitants), and in a year and a half the number of PHV’s run by Uber & Co. rose from 1.500 to 4.000 due to completely inadequate regulation and policing.
The Berlin regulator was woefully understaffed and didn’t have the nouse nor the means of checking all (often dubious) requests for licenses coming from shady PHV-companies or keeping an eye on the entire (regulated) trade. Companies without any income in a year or directors of 19 years old running several companies without any qualification – no problem for Berlin’s incompetent regulators. This year a large bunch of more savvy regulators were hired and 1.661 (sic) completely illegal PHV-’companies’ were discovered and closed. Only the top of the iceberg. Companies which are shuttered in Berlin, then move to areas outside the city with even weaker regulation. And the whole thing starts all over again.
Help! A third European taxi and PHV association?
In one of the conference sessions it became clear that in Germany, national as well as regional and local governments have the means available to curtail illegal platform work and change the present regulatory structure, but they fear the legal and financial clout of Uber & Co, particularly as the federal government itself takes no action. Apart from a new system in several cities with fixed fares and fare corridors where the fixed fares apply (a completely separate conference theme), a recurring demand is for minimum fares for PHV’s - e.g. platforms.
Another demand from the taxi and PHV-trade is the use of taxis and PHV’s in public transport offering accessible services and working for city governments.
One of the organizer's hobby horses is the creation of a third European taxi association next to the International Road Transport Union (IRU) which shows scant interest in the taxi trade and the Taxis4SmartMobility pressure group. Those present in the hall suggested joining the present organizations and working together instead of creating an also-run association for the benefit of Germany’s TMV. The association's jury is still out on this one.
The second day was the more practical day, with presentations on international topics like electrifying the taxi and PHV-sector, the increasing use of hydrogen taxis and of HVO100 (biodiesel) as a clean diesel-replacement. But then it was time to move to the lottery for the VW Touran, this time won by a small German operator.
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