Taxi fixed prices expand in Germany — Munich, Berlin, Duisburg, Hannover
Since autumn 2023, Munich has offered passengers the option to agree a fixed price for taxi rides that are prebooked by phone or app. Berlin introduced a similar regulation a few months later. More recently, Duisburg and Hannover have implemented comparable fixed-price schemes, making these cities early adopters of a model designed to provide fare transparency and to make taxis more competitive with ride‑hailing platforms like Uber.
What changed
- Fixed prices are available for rides ordered by phone or app (prebooked).
- The goal is to give passengers upfront price certainty and to limit seasonal or event-driven price spikes.
- Some implementations allow fares within a regulated margin around the official tariff (e.g., a set percentage above/below), to balance transparency and regulated pricing.
Why it matters
Ride‑hailing apps typically display upfront estimates. By offering fixed fares for prebooked trips, local taxi services aim to regain customers who shifted to app-based alternatives and to ensure predictable costs during busy periods like large events.
Source & further reading
Reporting based on local coverage. For more details: Munich Introduces Fixed Prices for Pre-booked Taxis — TheMunichEye
Original German excerpt (translated):
“Seit Herbst 2023 gibt es in München die Möglichkeit, bei telefonisch oder per App vorbestellten Taxifahrten einen Festpreis zu vereinbaren. Wenige Monate später folgte Berlin mit einer ähnlichen Regelung. Beide Städte gelten damit als Vorreiter für ein Modell, das inzwischen auch in Duisburg und Hannover eingeführt wurde.”
If you want, I can add local council decisions or legal references for each city — tell me which city you’d like sourced in more detail.