In some towns in Lower Saxony, you will already look in vain for taxis. Image: Lucas Bäuml
The taxi business model is particularly threatened in rural areas. Anyone stranded in the wrong place will soon find it difficult to get away. The situation is particularly difficult in one federal state.
One week to go, then the Schützenfest, the annual highlight of the calendar of events, will begin in the town of Friesoythe in Lower Saxony. Thousands of people will flock to the fairgrounds on the first weekend in August, drinking plenty of beer and schnapps and dancing to catchy pop music, as they do every year. It’s only when they stagger out of the marquee late at night drunk and wondering how to get home that they might face a new problem this year. Because there have been no taxis in Friesoythe for a few weeks.
Alexander Wulfers
Editor in the economy of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sunday newspaper.
There were still two taxi companies in the community of 23,000 at the beginning of the year. Both have now returned their concessions to the district. “I’ve burned enough money,” says Heinz Schnieders, owner of Taxi Schnieders in the village of Gehlenberg, simply explaining his decision. He was the last remaining taxi operator. His competitor Andre Stoppelmann, owner of Taxi Saterland, gave up the taxi sign shortly before him.