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Berlin to Increase Taxi Fares Substantially

The Berlin Senate is preparing a Christmas present for Berlin’s cab owners and drivers. Traveling by taxi will cost a lot more soon, probably even before this year ends.

Berlin, November 5th, 2022 (The Berlin Spectator) — Getting from A to B in Berlin is easy. Residents and visitors have lots of options. They can walk, rent an electric scooter, go by bike, by rental car, they can order an Uber car, go by tram, bus, ‘U-Bahn’ or ‘S-Bahn’ trains, by ferry or by taxi. In some cases, when passengers are in a hurry, have a lot to carry, or just prefer a more comfortable way of moving around, cabs are definitely the right choice.

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Driving Driver

In Germany, more than 50,000 taxis take people to any location they choose. Many of them, some 8,000 taxis, are registered in Berlin. In the 1960s and early 70s, West German cabs were black. For past five decades, their color has been light ivory. But the concept has remained the same. The passenger enters the cab and tells the driver where he or she wants to go, and the driver drives.

Believe it or not: The fare for cab trips to or from BER Airport differs from those for all other trips. Edited photo: Imanuel Marcus

One of the most important aspects has not been mentioned in the previous two paragraphs: Taking cabs costs money. At this stage, passengers need to pay a base fee in the amount of 3.90 Euro. The first seven kilometers cost 2.30 Euro each (one kilometer is 0.62 miles, 1 Euro is 0.99 U.S. Dollars or 0.87 Pounds Sterling today). From the eighth kilometer, the price decreases to 1.65 (yes, per kilometer).

Complicated Rules

Germans love complicated rules, which is why there are exceptions. Short trips with a distance of up to two kilometers cost 6 Euro. Passengers who want to go to BER Airport in neighboring Brandenburg province or from there back to Berlin, pay more. In these cases, the base fee is the same, but the first five kilometers are 2.20 Euro each. From the sixth kilometer, the fare is 1.75 Euro (yes, per km, again).

Ready for the main message of this article? Here we go: The fares are supposed to rise by about 20 percent. It will probably happen on December 20th, 2022, four days before Christmas Eve. German-language media quoted Berlin’s Transport Senator Bettina Jarasch as saying an improved perspective was being created for cab drivers who had to cover high costs due to the energy crisis.

Fares and Headaches

For regular rides, the base fee will increase to 4.30 Euro, and the first three kilometers are supposed to cost 2.80 Euro each. From the fourth to the seventh kilometer, 2.60 Euro will be charged. From the eighth kilometer, it is 2.10 Euro. Passengers who want to be taken to BER Airport or from there to Berlin will be charged 2.60 Euro for the first five kilometers and 2 Euro from the sixth one. Do all of those numbers give you a headache? Welcome to the club. There is good news too: The fare for short trips will not be changed.

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