Prague to ban non-zero emission taxis and ride-hailing services from 2030

The city’s e-mobility ambitions are set out in a new draft proposal to revise the conditions for taxi operations. According to a recent announcement, the proposal stipulates that taxi and ride-hailing services in the Prague area may only use vehicles meeting at least the Euro 6d emission standard from 1 August 2027. In a second phase, from 1 January 2030, these services will be permitted only for vehicles powered exclusively by electricity or hydrogen.

The city administration describes this as a ‘gradual tightening of technical and emission-related requirements for taxi vehicles’. The changes are to be introduced through a generally binding ordinance. However, the plan still requires approval from the Prague City Council. While no final decision has been made, it is considered essential to ‘set the requirements sufficiently in advance’ to give taxi companies time to adapt their business models and renew their fleets.

“According to available data, taxis in Prague cover around 250 to 300 kilometres daily, while vehicles from platforms such as Uber, Bolt, or Wolt travel more than twice that distance,” explained Jaromír Beránek, Deputy Mayor of Prague for Transport. “Even if an operator were to purchase a new internal combustion engine vehicle today, it would clock up an average of over 350,000 kilometres in four years and reach the end of its service life.”

Beránek cites unfavourable developments in the taxi sector as the reason for the revision: the average age of taxis in Prague is now over 10 years. The number of vehicles meeting only the Euro 4 and 5 emission standards is rising rapidly. Furthermore, the number of licensed taxi vehicles has increased from fewer than 3,000 in 2017 to over 16,000 in 2024. This figure includes both vehicles from traditional taxi companies and those from ride-hailing services such as Uber and Bolt.

Beránek emphasises: “Taxi services are now a key component of urban transport, but for a long time, there were no clear rules that reflected their actual significance. This must change.” He adds: “Transport is the main source of air pollution in Prague. If we want to meet the stricter limits coming into force in 2030, we must target the road users who are most active in the city. Taxi traffic is among them.”

The city has assured that the charging infrastructure will have sufficient capacity by 2030. It estimates that by the end of the decade, there will be 4,000 to 4,500 standard charging points, as well as 150 to 200 fast and ultra-fast charging stations. The infrastructure will be developed in collaboration between the city, private investors, and taxi companies.

As mentioned, the City Council must still decide whether to implement the plans in its next meeting. An earlier proposal by the Prague City Administration from February 2025 had already envisaged that only the registration of purely battery-electric taxis would be permitted in Prague from September 2029. However, it is now clear that the restrictions apply not just to new registrations but to all operations.

praha.eu (in Czech)