Overview

• Essen’s transport committee scheduled a decision for September 11 on binding minimum tariffs for app‑booked rental cars.
• Uber introduced an in‑app option called “UberTeuert” in Essen and made it the only bookable choice locally for a limited time to mirror the proposed floor.
• Uber says the modeled fares would rise by about 50%, citing examples like Essen‑Kettwig to Elisabeth Hospital increasing from €21.30 to €31.95 and Frohnhausen to Zeche Zollverein rising to about €25.80.
• Taxi drivers in Essen had already pressed for a binding floor, limits on rental cars, and stricter return‑to‑base enforcement during a large May protest.
• In Munich, taxi groups issued open letters and announced a demonstration around the IAA after the city declined a minimum price, alleging unfair competition and pointing to authorities’ estimates of over €20 million a year in social‑insurance fraud by platform drivers.