With the judgment of the Administrative Court Stuttgart, last week, the road to a, for the trade potentially harmful diesel ban, is open. The German taxi and private hire association BZP calls for a round table conference with all involved. Nicola Urban of Taxi Times reports.

Thomas Grätz, Managing Director of the BZP, asked for a round table with politicians, representatives of the business and taxis and car rental companies. The industry needs reliable long-term conditions. For a long time, the taxi trade has been investing cleaner vehicles on the road, for example through the use of natural gas or hybrid vehicles or the purchase of modern diesel vehicles. Here the trade had to rely on the pollutant data of the industry.

According to the verdict of the Administrative Court of Stuttgart, uncertainty is growing, says Grätz. Present exemptions would not last forever. “We need the support of the Federal Government, the Länder and municipalities for lasting and clean mobility. We need legal certainty to provide our service to our customers for 365 days 24 hours a day, says Grätz underlining his demand for a round table.

• German taxi trade calls for a round table conference about clean vehicles.