Overview
- From January 1, 2026, spontaneous app-booked trips may be priced at most 7% below the municipal taxi tariff, while rides booked more than an hour in advance are exempt.
- The city will create at least two positions to monitor fare compliance and the legal return-to-base rule for rental cars.
- Essen’s decision mirrors Heidelberg’s model and rests on a Linne + Krause study that flagged labor and social-law compliance risks at current app fares.
- Uber warns average app fares could rise about 50%, and the rental-car association Wirfahren says member companies plan legal challenges.
- The council approved the rule by a wide majority, with CDU, SPD, Greens, Linke and AfD in favor and FDP and EBB against, making Essen the first city in North Rhine-Westphalia to adopt such a policy.