Hamburg experimentally introduces flexible taxi fares

Three months ago, Hamburg introduced a taxi fare system with fixed prices. Starting tomorrow, Hamburg's Authority for Transport and Mobility Transition will begin to experimentally flexibilize the hitherto static fare for taxi passenger transport. A new pricing model will be tested with taxi dispatchers Bolt, Freenow, and Uber starting October 15. For passengers, this initially means a choice between a fixed fare and a flexible price. The trial will be evaluated by the Statistical Office North and a mobility researcher, among others.

Setting a fixed price within certain limits in the city is intended to enable dispatchers and affiliated taxi companies to improve their cost coverage and "make the taxi product more attractive and contemporary," as the city's press office writes. A general fare increase due to rising minimum wage and higher operating expenses will therefore be postponed for now.

For the duration of this trial, flexible prices will only be allowed for pre-booked rides, not for passengers boarding at a taxi stand or on the street. For these, the fare determined by the taximeter will continue to apply. Dispatchers will also continue to be allowed to offer rides at the fixed fare. In the first phase until February 14, 2026, fixed prices for pre-booked rides may be increased by a maximum of 20 percent. From February 15, 2026, a corridor of minus 20 percent to plus 20 percent compared to the current fixed price will apply. After the test phase is completed, a long-term regulation will be established in the taxi ordinance by February 2027. Passengers will know the price for pre-booked rides before the start of the journey and can choose between different offers.

Hamburg wants to make taxis more attractive

For passengers, the changes mean that in the first four months, the fixed price for a ride booked through a dispatcher may be higher, especially during high demand. From February 15, 2026, it can be up to 20 percent cheaper than today during periods of low demand.

Passengers can inquire about the fare and then decide whether to book the ride, go to the nearest taxi stand, or hail a taxi on the street. This is because without a dispatcher, the fare will continue to be determined by the taximeter. Hamburg's communications department writes about the progress of the trial: "After testing these two corridor models, the current fixed price regulation without flexible pricing models will apply until January 31, 2027. A long-term regulation must be established in the taxi ordinance by February 2027."

Hamburg's largest taxi dispatcher, "Hansafunk," has decided against participating. Jan Weber, board member at Hansataxi, expressed the following concerns to the industry publication Taxi Times: "We want a reliable price and no daily fluctuations that depend on the weather." He stated that fares 20 percent above the standard rate in the initial trial phase would not be acceptable to his dispatch center's customers. Weber fears that this will lead to too many passengers being lost. Weber considers the second phase with the 20 percent price reduction to be not cost-covering and therefore dangerous for financially struggling businesses that have to pay minimum wage.

The scientific evaluation will be carried out by the Statistical Office North and mobility researcher Knie from Berlin. The results of the initiative are expected in the second half of 2026.

(fpi)