[golemotron]

> I like that Taxi companies need to have extra insurance and the cars and drivers are checked on a regular basis. Just like the TÜV (a mandatory checkup every two years for every vehicle) makes sure all vehicles have functioning lights, brakes, proper tires etc.

Maybe it makes you happy, but is it necessary? I doubt that it is. It seems like regulation for very little purpose. Accidents due to brake failure are exceedingly rare, and police will see if your lights are out (more frequently than once every two years).

Shouldn't regulation should be about more than warm fuzzy feelings?

[jacquesm]

> I doubt that it is.

I worked on cars a lot, old ones, newer ones and everything in between (oldest: 1961 Mini, newest, my VW bus from 2007).

Cars that are used more frequently and that do lots of stops/starts wear faster and tend to fail more frequently than cars that are used infrequently (within limits, letting a car sit for years and then using it is also not good).

Typical wear items: boots, joints, brakes (pads/discs), clutch, handbrake, steering housing and associated items (tie rod ends!), all consumables (including fluids, filters), lights (police telling you your lights are out is too late), safety belts, structural elements (rust, badly repaired accident damage) and on and on.

Having those inspected more frequently when you operate a car (many taxis are operated in shifts and I don't see any reason why uberpop drivers could not share a car for maximum profits) for the purpose of transporting passengers is in my opinion not a luxury.

On occasion I go by cab here in Romania and I'm always very happy to be alive at my destination, the number and severity of accidents involving cabs here is simply scary.

Give me German regulated cabs any time over the cabs here, possibly Uber could improve on that but I'm sceptical about what Uber pop would look like here.

[axx]

There're A LOT of checks your car has to pass in germany. The "TÜV" (the "institute" that checks cars) are pretty hard on every car to make sure that the car is secure and safe.

But not only that, if you have holes in your exhaust and it makes awful noises, you need to fix it. If the rubbers on your windshield wipers is in a bad condition, you need to fix them. If certain parts of your suspension or the steering mechanics wiggle and wobble, you need to fix them.

After each 2-year check you have a certain time to get your car fixed. After everything is fixed, you'll get some kind of license plate sticker with the next TÜV-expiration date (very hard to copy). The Police will check those stickers regulary (if they see your car) and if it's invalid they'll stop you and you have to pay a big fee.

IMHO this is a good thing. Sure there are some stupid rules in place, but overall it makes the streets safer. And if you look at german roads, most cars are in perfect condition, even the older ones.

And as someone mentioned before, those rules are even harder enforeced on transportation companies or taxi drivers.

[wooter]

screw people that can't afford to fix their windshield wiper at the moment... fine them.

[MandieD]

If they can't afford to fix their windshield wipers (15 EUR at most for new rubber blades), then there's no way they can afford to drive in Germany on a regular basis. 12 gallons of gasoline is around 75 EUR, or $100.

And TÜV costs about 70 or 80 EUR - not to mention the annual car registration fees.

So, yes, if you cannot manage to fix your windshield wipers, your car should not be on the road. Take the bus.

[axx]

I agree. Owning a car in germany is pretty expensive. I pay 1200-1300 euros per year (insurance + tax) + money for gas.

[wooter]

That may be true and I'm glad that (at least some of us) in the US we strive to make driving accessible to everyone, lower their cost of living, and allowing them to take that money and feed their kids - all by allowing personal responsibility. Not wasting their time and money by fining them when they very well might not need the windshield wiper at that very moment.

Do you have any numbers to suggest the cost is worth the benefit - or that there is any benefit what-so-ever?

[CaptainZapp]

  Shouldn't regulation should be about more than warm fuzzy feelings?

Absolutely!

In this case the regulation determines streetworthyness of a vehicle, which is considered part of public transport infrastructure.

I, for one, rather get a cab, which is regularly checked and safe to be driven.

Would you suggest that Ryan Air, since they are the cheapest airline far and wide, should flout regulation, which aims at ensuring the airworthyness of their fleet, so that they can offer cheap tickets?

[hibbelig]

The mandatory vehicle checkup (TÜV) does more than check the lights. They also check whether the car is structurally sound -- any broken beams or similar. I'm happy that they exist.