The head of Uber’s Austrian subsidiary, Martin Essl, is hoping for further incentives for e-mobility from the future government. Starting in 2025, all newly registered taxis in Vienna must be electric. Essl stated in an interview with APA that “a regulatory incentive” for e-taxis would also be helpful in other state capitals.

Uber collaborates with around 2,000 taxi companies in Austria, with approximately 5,000 taxi drivers on the platform. However, only 2 to 3 percent of these are fully electric at the moment.

Uber in Austria Since 2014

The ride-hailing service launched in Vienna in 2014, despite protests from established taxi providers, offering rental car drivers. The merger of the taxi and rental car industries, also known as the “Lex Uber,” came into effect in January 2021. The majority of the regulations of the taxi industry were adopted, but with a bit more flexibility on pricing. Since then, all drivers must possess a taxi license. Since May, Uber has been available nationwide in Austria. Taxi companies in Vienna, for example, pay Uber a commission between 10 and 18 percent per ride.

The COVID-19 pandemic temporarily shrank the taxi industry, but since 2023, the sector has been recovering rapidly. “The taxi market has developed very well,” said Uber’s Austria head. There is no longer a shortage of drivers in the cities. “Supply and demand have balanced out well,” Essl added.

Calls for Easier Taxi Licenses in Rural Areas

Essl also called on the future government to make it easier to grant taxi licenses in rural areas and to take steps to support shared mobility (“ridesharing”). According to Uber, there are too few taxi drivers in rural areas, leading to low demand, especially in the Weinviertel, Mostviertel, and parts of Styria and Upper Austria. In cities like Vienna, Salzburg, and Innsbruck, tourists are a “key customer group” for the US-based ride-hailing company. Uber has not published specific figures on passenger growth or profitability in Austria.