Transport services: Study: Taxi industry must open up to digital services
Too expensive and especially unsexy for younger people: A non-representative survey points to structural problems in the taxi industry - which go beyond the competition from rental cars.
Berlin taxi industry must modernize to keep pace, new study warns. The study, conducted by the Berlin Science Center for Social Research (WZB), reveals that the taxi industry is being perceived as too expensive and too analog, especially among younger age groups. Nearly 40% of survey participants attributed the high cost as the primary reason for their perception of taxis.
The study, conducted in June this year, surveyed pedestrians and taxi passengers in the Rhein-Main region, with a total of nearly 900 respondents. However, it is important to note that the surveys are not representative and the results can only be seen as a trend for the Frankfurt metropolitan area. The findings, however, provide the first empirical insight into the motives behind taxi usage in Germany.
According to the study, taxis in the Rhein-Main region are primarily used by the elderly and higher-income individuals. Younger age groups, on the other hand, tend to use ride-sharing platforms like Uber or Bolt more often. The study suggests that this behavior is likely to continue in later life as well. Therefore, the industry's future lies in its ability to position itself as a modern, reliable, and easily accessible mobility service.
This is especially important for the so-called Baby Boomer generation, born between 1955 and 1965, who demonstrate a high level of trust and affinity towards digital offerings.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
