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There are a lot of reasons why Uber doesn't really work in Germany, most of them listed here already. One I'd like to add is, at least from my experience in Ber
by sjm 11y ago
There are a lot of reasons why Uber doesn't really work in Germany, most of them listed here already. One I'd like to add is, at least from my experience in Berlin, taxis here are already what you'd get by paying the premium for "Uber Black" — Mercedes E-Class, super clean, super comfortable, driven by professionals and not very expensive. This is a world of difference from, say, Australia, where the taxis are dirty, unsafe, and driven by a workforce that has a big stimulant drug-use problem (of course this is a generalisation, but I've caught enough taxis in Australia to come across all of this a few times, and it's certainly not uncommon).
In other words, there are places like Australia that desperately need Uber and the competition it brings to taxi companies. Germany doesn't have this need, and Uber doesn't bring much to the table compared to what is already available.
- mckee1 11y agoI was in Berlin earlier last year and I was surprised at just how excellent the taxi's were, especially in comparison to the UK. As you say, all clean, high quality cars.
- jtzhou 11y agoDitto, was in Berlin recently and was very impressed by the taxi service. The taxi driver slowed down and asked us if we needed a ride, was patient when we got out our address on our phones for the AirBnB, and even suggested a faster route. He gave us a detailed explanation of the cultural sites in the area. €11.80 to take two people with 4 luggage bags about 5 kilometers.
- drpgq 11y agoI split my time between Saxony and Ontario and the German taxis are in far better condition and the drivers way better.
- socialist_coder 11y ago"not very expensive"? - they are the same price as taxis in the US. I think most people would consider them expensive. Personally, I would love to pay a cheaper price for a less comfortable trip. I don't need to ride in a freshly washed 2012 Mercedes E-class.
- jp555 11y agoThe bus is cheaper and less comfortable.
- rbehrends 11y agoDriving a taxi in Germany is pretty much a minimum wage job (or close). There's not much room for cutting costs. The Mercedes E-Class aspect is a bit misleading; Mercedes offers cars to German taxi companies at a pretty hefty discount (as long as they are used as taxis for at least one year), which is why they're so popular.
- pkaye 11y agoTo get a better sense, much would you spend in Germany for a 1km and 10km taxi ride?
- halomru 11y agoIt's somewhere around a 5 euro base charge plus about a euro per kilometer (rough approximation).
- mschuster91 11y agoMunich (http://www.taxi-muenchen.com/privatkunden/tarif-und-preise.html http://www.taxi-muenchen.com/privatkunden/tarif-und-preise.h...): minimum fare 3,50 and 1,80 per kilometer if <5km, so 5,30 for the 1km and 20,50 for the 10km ride. Taxi prices across Germany are similar.