Ride-hailing service providers in Leipzig demand clarification of legal status: Police urge for clear laws on taxi app operations
In the city of Heidelberg, minimum prices for rental cars, including ride-hailing services like Uber, have been in place since August 1, 2025. These prices are not more than 7.5 percent below local taxi tariffs, with the aim of ensuring calculable costs for all citizens and maintaining the availability of these services.
However, the current status of minimum fare regulations for ride-hailing services in Leipzig remains unclear. Germany's regulation of app-mediated ride services is generally governed at the state level, with cities implementing local rules but not typically setting fare minimums independently.
The SPD faction in Leipzig's city council has voiced concerns about the unregulated market and the potential for prices to skyrocket during peak times. They argue that such a scenario is incompatible with fair and affordable public transport. In response, the SPD faction has submitted an application to the city administration and the mayor to issue a new, legally sound general decree that sets minimum fares for ride-hailing services.
Previously, Leipzig withdrew the general decree on minimum fares for rental cars after legal objections in the spring of 2025. The city's Ordnungsdezernat is now reviewing the SPD faction's initiative, considering the available legal options and consulting with the responsible state authority for road construction and traffic.
The Uber model, which has been displacing the traditional taxi model, is currently operating in Leipzig, pending a court decision. The SPD faction, led by Anja Feichtinger, is concerned about the erosion of the actual taxi principle, as ride-hailing services are often not reliably available, especially during off-peak hours or in suburban areas.
Feichtinger criticizes Leipzig for giving up on the general decree prematurely, stating that it sends the wrong signal. The SPD faction views Heidelberg's action as a practical model and suggests that Leipzig should follow suit.
The application of the SPD faction is still under discussion in the Umwelt, Klima und Ordnung committee before it goes to the city council. The review process is based on the current emerging jurisprudence, including the ruling of the VG Leipzig of 15.11.2024 - 1 K 311/23.
Politics seems to be standing idly by, allowing another functional mobility concept to be undermined. The SPD faction emphasizes the importance of regulation to protect communal public services, including reliable and fair ride services. They criticize the lack of action taken by Leipzig and advocate for fair wages in the taxi industry, stating that prices must be set and minimum limits must be enforced against predatory pricing to achieve this.
- The SPD faction in Leipzig's city council is pushing for the implementation of minimum fares for ride-hailing services, similar to the model in Heidelberg, to ensure fair and affordable prices for all citizens and maintain the availability of these services.
- In the realm of policy-and-legislation, the SPD faction's application for a new general decree regulating minimum fares for ride-hailing services is currently under discussion, considering the available legal options and consulting with the responsible state authority for road construction and traffic.
- As the debate over the regulation of app-mediated ride services continues in the general-news arena, the SPD faction underscores the importance of finance and industry regulation to protect communal public services, such as reliable and fair ride services, while also advocating for fair wages in the taxi industry.
