The offer was very well received. Almost all of the 1,500 funded by the city vouchers for taxis were spent within one day. The proposal is addressed primarily to women. The night taxi can be used on all days of the week from 22:00 to 06:00 in the morning, according to the Cologne City Hall.
Safe return home
With this campaign, Cologne wants to increase the sense of security among women who are often afraid to walk home alone at night.
The coupon value is ten euro. Only one voucher can be used per ride, even if several women use the same taxi. There can be no men in the group.
According to a survey conducted by the Federal Office Police More than half of women in Germany avoid public transport after dark. The reason for this is the fear of violence and attacks. These concerns should not prevent them from participating in public life. That's why Cologne started the campaign.
In the pilot phase, a maximum of three vouchers per woman will be issued throughout the duration of the project until the end of August 2025. The service can be used by women over 16 years of age and people who have the “different” gender entered in their identity document.
Not only Cologne
Other German cities already have such coupons or similar offers, e.g. Heidelberg, Stuttgart and Mannheim. In Munich, such a system has been operating since 2020.
Despite the good reception of the project in Cologne, there are also critical voices. Some say 10 euro not enough for travel. There are also men who feel discriminated against because they were excluded from the offer.
Statistically, however, only a quarter of surveyed men refrain from traveling by public transport at night. For women, this percentage is more than twice as high.
The article comes from the website Deutsche Welle