The firm has a taxi/car service company that provides flat rates between the airport and the office and also operates as a taxi for other destinations. So when traveling on business, I often have them pick me up at home rather than hoping that there is a taxi waiting a few blocks away at the Südbahnhof. So when I flew back into Frankfurt tonight, they were waiting for me. But not apparently looking for me.
I knocked on the window of the driver and he looked up in surprise and slight embarrassment. He said he would explain once we were en route, which indeed he did, and much more. Fascinating. So here's what I learned about Frankfurt and surrounding area taxis. I should note that this is based entirely on his representations and has not been independently verified by me. (You knew there would be a caveat, didn't you?)
For starters, there are apparently too many taxis (something like 1,700) in Frankfurt for the fares available. So there has, at least in the past, been fierce competition for fares. The government (not clear whether it is the federal government, the state (Hessen) government, or the Frankfurt municipality) has passed laws in response to promote consistency, ensure access to taxis and protect consumers.
What he had seen was, a few cars ahead, a rather heated (okay, angry) discussion between two taxi drivers. Apparently, one must pay a specific fee to pick up individuals at the airport, perhaps not unlike how the taxis in some U.S. cities charge you an additional fee for the airport which is a pass-through of such costs. Anyway, this driver apparently had not bought this item yet nevertheless was soliciting passengers at the airport, which was turning the cranks of the other taxi drivers who had paid their fees. Now, if this guy is caught by the authorities, he could lose his medallion (or whatever the equivalent is in Germany) and would not be able to pick up anyone in Frankfurt or surrounding areas. That, of course, was of little consolation to the taxi drivers from whom he was stealing fares that very minute.
Another law/regulation that was passed requires taxi drivers to deliver passengers within a certain zone at agreed upon meter rates. The purpose of this seems two-fold. First, it protects consumers (particularly tourists) from a taxi driver who tries to bargain for a fee and requires just the meter. The issue of the taxi driver taking a longer route to rack up a higher fare remains, of course. Second, it protects developing neighborhoods (okay, those living in the ghetto) from being denied access to taxi services.
Another law says that I can choose any taxi in the queue that I want; I don't have to choose the first one. Apparently a lot of taxi drivers take a bit of offense at this, but the law was designed so that the passenger has meaningful choice and can select a cabbie s/he feels comfortable with.
There is cooperation but mutual respect for the different municipalities. So, essentially a cabbie is free to pick up and deliver anyone in his/her home area (it is unclear whether this relates directly to the license place location or something else). But if you are going into a zone that's not your own, you can drop off anyone, of course, but a pick-up is only possible if someone has scheduled the pick-up. So using the example of the firm's car/taxi service, they are based in the Taunus area, not Frankfurt. They can deliver me to the Frankfurt airport, which is in the Frankfurt area. However, they can't pick me up at the airport unless I schedule/request a pick-up. (So you can imagine the ruckus that would break out if a Taunus driver showed up at the Frankfurt airport without the right medallion and soliciting fares directly!)
Outside of the zone in which the cabbie must deliver passengers at the agreed upon meter, cabbies can negotiate a fare. So, if you think of the volcanic ash issues a few months ago, if you were stuck in Frankfurt and wanted a cabbie to drive you to, say, Amsterdam you'd need to bargain with him/her.
Interestingly enough, a recent survey performed by a motor club (think AAA) indicated that the taxi service in Frankfurt did not rate very highly. Cabbies were often trying to bargain with tourists to take them to their destination at a flat rate. They also tended to take the longer rate to drive up the meter and corresponding fare. They also ranked low for their ability to speak German as well as English. It's unclear to me from the conversation whether the current laws/regulations were passed in response to this survey, or if the survey is evidence that the regulations don't work.
So there you have it. When you come to Frankfurt to visit, I'll try to pick you up myself. ;-)
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