Response to interpellation 2025/26:468 on lack of regulatory compliance in the taxi industry
Translated from Swedish by AI; the translation may contain errors. The Swedish text is the original.
Summary AI, written in advance
KD considers that rules on rest periods are important for road safety and the drivers' health 1. KD argues that the government has taken measures through sanction changes, streamlining of Transportstyrelsen, increased police presence, forfeiture legislation, and investigations into labor exploitation 1 2 3. KD emphasizes that the way forward is to ensure that existing rules are complied with rather than introducing additional burdens 2. KD is open to analyzing and strengthening the regulatory framework for the personal logbook 3. KD considers it urgent to strengthen the competitive conditions for serious actors 4 and that the government's work is important 4, but that more needs to be done for greater effect and more controls 4. S argues that the deficiencies in the taxi industry are due to unhealthy competition and that drivers are pressured to work long days 5. S considers that the government has not delivered a proper review of the industry 5 6 and that today's regulatory framework is not adapted to digitalization and gigification 6. S demands a review of regulatory frameworks, control systems, and conditions for employees 5. S welcomes the government's sanction changes but considers that more needs to be done 7. S wants the taximeters to be connected to apps and that tachographs should be considered to ensure daily rest 7.
Written by AI in advance and may contain errors. The numbers lead to the speech a statement builds on; check against the text below.
Infrastruktur- och bostadsministern Andreas Carlson (KD)
Mr. Speaker! Kadir Kasirga has asked me what measures I intend to take to ensure that rules on driving and rest times are complied with within the taxi industry, how I intend to strengthen the supervision and control of the taxi industry, and whether I am prepared to review the regulatory framework, including the sanctions system, to rectify recurring deficiencies in regulatory compliance.
The purpose of the rules on taxi drivers' rest periods is that drivers who operate vehicles in their profession should be well-rested. This is particularly important for traffic safety reasons but obviously also to protect the drivers' health and well-being. We now see from the Transport Agency's measurement that every fifth driver does not meet the requirements for rest periods set in the regulatory framework. It is clearly serious.
The Government has during the mandate period made decisions to switch sanctions for certain violations in order to improve regulatory compliance in the taxi industry. The result of Transportstyrelsen's permit measurement confirms that road checks were needed to detect this type of violations. Transportstyrelsen's supervision of the taxi industry is another important tool to ensure regulatory compliance and fair competitive conditions.
It is positive that the Transport Agency has continued to work on streamlining its operations and ensuring that supervision is exercised where it does the most good for society. The Government has taken measures to increase the number of police officers across the country. The police density is the highest in modern times. This strengthens the Police Authority's conditions to increase controls and curb rule violations.
Kadir Kasirga (S)
Mr. Speaker! I would like to begin by thanking the Minister for the answer.
The Transport Agency's latest audit shows that every fifth taxi driver does not meet the requirements for daily rest. This is serious, which the minister agreed with. The rules are not there for show; they are there to protect road safety, the passengers, and the drivers' health.
The report is, however, actually about something larger. It confirms the problems that have existed for a long time within parts of the taxi industry, such as unhealthy competition, lack of regulatory compliance, and drivers who are pressured to work long days to make the finances work. It is the serious companies that are affected when others compete by stretching the rules. It is the drivers who are affected when the pressure to drive more hours increases, and it is the passengers who are affected when traffic safety risks being impaired.
Mr. Speaker! This is not a new discussion. The minister and I have debated the development of the taxi industry here in the chamber several times, and throughout the entire parliamentary term, we Social Democrats have called for a review of the taxi industry – of the regulatory framework, the control system, the competitive situation, and the conditions for the employees.
We have raised the problems with unfair competition. We have raised the need for better controls. We have raised the situation for those drivers who want to do the right thing, earn a living through work and follow the regulations, but who at the same time are pressured by an increasingly harsh market. We have also raised the unreasonable prices that still occur. Tourists and visitors landing at Arlanda should not have to risk paying several thousand kronor for a taxi ride into Stockholm city.
Despite the government having stated on several occasions that it shares the problem picture, the results have remained out. When I look back on these four years, it is difficult to point to any major reform that has seriously improved the situation in the taxi industry. The problems persist, and now we receive yet another report showing that the rule violations are still extensive.
Mr. Speaker! I also react to the fact that the Minister, in his answer, primarily refers to the police density. It has increased, and certain changes have been implemented. But if every fifth driver still does not receive sufficient daily rest, one must reasonably ask the question again: Have the government's measures been sufficient?
For me, this is ultimately about what kind of working life we accept in Sweden. People who want to work, do the right thing, and support their families should not be pressured by conditions where long workdays become a prerequisite for making the finances work. At the same time, serious companies should not have to compete with actors who build their business models on stretching the rules.
Therefore, I want to ask the minister again: If the government considers the situation to be as serious as the minister describes in his answer, why has one not done more during the past four years to rectify the problems that exist in the taxi industry?
Infrastruktur- och bostadsministern Andreas Carlson (KD)
Mr. Speaker! Thank you very much, Kadir Kasirga, for the questions! It is true that we have had constructive and good debates on this issue over the years, and for that, I want to thank Kadir Kasirga.
The government has taken a number of measures. I mentioned some of them, for example, the possibility of sanction exchange and that the Transport Agency is now working to streamline its operations to become even more accurate in this important work, which I mentioned is positive. However, one cannot escape the fact that in order to achieve an even better impact in the work, more controls are needed. In that case, it becomes important to establish that the police density is the highest in modern times, Mr. Speaker.
There is a comprehensive regulatory framework. There is clarity in what is expected and what is required to conduct taxi operations, and it is of course important that those rules are complied with and followed. In that regard, the government has implemented measures. As mentioned, we have, for example, increased resources to the police and expanded the possibility for the exchange of information between authorities. We have also removed confidentiality barriers between authorities so that information can be shared more easily and effectively.
We have also enabled forfeiture, and where offenses against the taxi act are a part of that. With administrative measures, one can even forfeit taxis for those who do not follow the legislation. It is a tool that is effective in general, but there is more to be done.
Measures have also been taken against the exploitation of labor, and the government has tasked the Swedish Work Environment Authority with inventorying the support needs of persons who are subjected to labor exploitation and submitting proposals for target-group-adapted support measures. It is an ongoing assignment.
The government has also proposed that two new crimes be introduced, exploitation of foreign labor and trafficking in work permits, to meet part of what Kadir Kasirga was getting at, namely that this is an industry where, of course, it is about rest periods and regulations but also about how people are treated. We need, so to speak, to ensure that there are tolerable conditions and that people are not exploited.
Finally, I want to say that, of course, a responsibility rests on taxi companies and taxi drivers to follow the rules that exist. The taxi industry is conducted on commercial terms, but the fact that there is tough competition in a market is no excuse for not following the rules. I will, however, return to what I said initially: It is the follow-up of the rules that is the key. The regulatory framework is relatively extensive. I believe, Mr. Speaker, that the way forward is to ensure that the rules we have are complied with rather than introducing additional burdens. If these, in turn, are not monitored, they will likewise have no effect.
The government has done a lot, but I am the first to emphasize that more needs to be done. This is a problem that has grown over time, and it requires methodical and focused work with decisiveness to turn this around.
When it comes to the situation at Arlanda, Mr. Speaker, we have also discussed this issue previously. I share the view on the problem. Measures have been taken by Swedavia, which operates at Arlanda airport. But there is probably more to learn when it comes to how one works to achieve a better situation. Airport investigators and I myself have visited other Nordic airports, which, with different tools, ensure that those who land and visit a country also have a good experience when they hop into a taxi and travel further from the airport.
Kadir Kasirga (S)
Mr. Speaker! Thank you very much for the answer, Minister Andreas Carlson!
When it comes to the regulatory frameworks, there are such frameworks today, and our objection to and reasoning regarding them is that they are not quite adapted to today's market.
The taxi industry has changed a great deal compared to other industries in the labor market. There has been a very rapid digitalization and gigification of the taxi industry, where new companies have won more market share and, through algorithms, simply adapted the taxi industry to their own terms. That is why we Social Democrats in this chamber and also in the Transport Committee have talked about and persistently pushed our demand. The government should have taken the opportunity during these four years to appoint an inquiry and conduct a review of the taxi industry. The Transport Agency's report shows and confirms that the problems still exist.
Of course there are laws and regulations, but the deficiencies show that a proper review of the taxi industry, which was deregulated during the 1990s, needs to be carried out. Since then, no review has been conducted. As I said in my previous post, there is a gigification. There are very many people working for these companies, and at the same time, the companies do not want to be held to any employer responsibility.
The Minister is aware of this. We have debated and discussed the issue for four years, and I must unfortunately say that I have not seen anything in practice and action that shows that the government has prioritized the issue and focused on it.
There are several thousand people working in this industry. There are several thousand people who want to do the right thing. They want to work. They want to go to a job, and they do not want to be dependent on support from the public sector. This is also what we hear from the government; it is the work principle that applies. But when people are exploited and used, there is a responsibility on the part of politics to act and create conditions and good and decent terms for these people so that they can manage to work in a sustainable way.
I still wonder whether today's levels of control within the taxi industry are sufficient, when the Transport Agency's report shows such extensive deficiencies. If the government considers them to be insufficient – what additional measures are you then prepared to consider to address the problems that I have pointed out? This particularly concerns the conditions.
I do not believe that these people are deliberately breaking the rest periods, but rather it is about the fact that there is pressure on them to be able to earn a monthly salary that they can live on. I am unfortunately disappointed by the government's policy, as it has not delivered anything concrete for these drivers.
Infrastruktur- och bostadsministern Andreas Carlson (KD)
Mr. Speaker! Kadir Kasirga naturally has every right to experience and feel whatever emotions – disappointment and others – he wishes to.
The government has, however, as I said, taken measures. I am the first to say that more needs to be done and that the work needs to continue. The decision to sanction-exchange certain violations in order to improve regulatory compliance in the taxi industry is such a measure. I mentioned some examples of measures to curb exploitation, which Kadir Kasirga is now taking up. These are measures that the government has taken to counter the exploitation of labor.
However, we return to the fact that it is about how the rules are complied with. The monitoring and control of rule compliance need to increase; I am the first to say that. The question from Kadir Kasirga concerned, among other things, whether the controls are sufficient. No, they need to be more numerous. The possibility of increasing the pace of the control activities also depends on there being police officers who can perform the work, and it is therefore relevant to point out that the police density is now the highest in modern times.
When it comes to further measures and regulatory changes that the government is considering and testing, I can mention the national rest period regulation. Svenska Taxiförbundet has submitted a petition to review the regulatory framework regarding the personal time sheet, and this is something that the government is analyzing and preparing.
When I review the Transportstyrelsen report, which Kadir Kasirga referred to and which I referred to in the interpellation response, I can state that according to the report, in 7 percent of the cases, it was not possible to check the daily rest. This was because the driver had not specified any rest time or because the driver lacked a timetable.
It indicates that what Kadir Kasirga says is correct: Some of the drivers are not aware of what driving and rest times exist. It was only in 85 percent of the inspections that it was actually possible to determine that the driver had taken a sufficient daily rest. In approximately half of the deviations, there was not even a possibility to check this.
There is every reason to analyze how the regulatory framework for the personal time sheet could be strengthened; the government is open to that. At the same time, one returns to the fact that, where it falls short, it is about having enough muscle to be able to follow up and control.
I am open to further regulatory changes and tightenings, but what has primarily been the government's focus during the mandate period is to exert increased pressure in the work of controlling compliance with rules that we already have and which are, in fact, extensive.
It is about both the Transport Agency's streamlining of its operations and about the police having the resources to be able to carry out the important controls. That work is not completed, but the government has changed course and really put it into high gear to get more police officers out. Then you also need to have tools, and I have mentioned the forfeiture legislation, sanction changes, and other measures aimed at improving regulatory compliance in the taxi industry.
With this, I hope and believe that Kadir Kasirga agrees with me that these are important measures that the government has taken during the mandate period. Ultimately, we agree that this is an area where regulatory compliance needs to improve.
Kadir Kasirga (S)
Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Minister, for the comments and the answers!
We agree on the problem. The taxi industry today does not function as one would want. It is about order and tidiness and that people should not have to be exploited in order to be able to earn a reasonable monthly salary.
We Social Democrats welcome the sanctions and the measures that the government has taken. But we see that more still needs to be done.
The Transport Agency's logbooks are an outdated way to report their daily rest. We Social Democrats have several times in the Transport Committee raised our proposals with the government. We have demanded that the taximeters should be connected to the apps and that consideration should be given to having tachographs for these taxi vehicles to ensure that people are not forced to break the daily rest.
The Transport Agency's report clearly shows that the problems are real and affect both the working environment and traffic safety. It is about the safety for both drivers and passengers, but also about serious companies being able to operate on equal terms.
Infrastruktur- och bostadsministern Andreas Carlson (KD)
Mr. Speaker! I thank Kadir Kasirga for this and previous debates on an important issue.
In the conclusion of the debate, I also want to turn to all the serious actors – drivers and companies – who every day ensure that Sweden's taxis keep running. One might get the impression that taxi is a luxury good, but that is not the case. I am therefore glad that Kadir Kasirga raises the issue again, because a robust and serious taxi sector is an important part of Sweden's transport system. This involves, among other things, medical transports, special transport services, and other socially important transports. I would therefore like to thank all taxi drivers for the efforts they make around the clock in our long country.
It is important for the government to strengthen the competitive conditions for those actors who are serious, who take responsibility, and who have reasonable working conditions for their drivers. In this light, the work that the government has carried out during the mandate period to strengthen regulatory compliance in the taxi industry is an important part. It is, of course, important in itself to address the problems, but it is also important to have more equal competitive conditions. Those who behave properly should be rewarded and not have it tougher because they compete with other actors who do not behave properly.
This is an important issue, and the government has taken measures. But more needs to be done to achieve both greater effect and more controls so that both the taxi drivers and the taxis traveling on our roads meet the standard.
I thank you for the debate, and we will certainly have reason to return to this in the future.
Source: The Swedish Parliament. The speeches come from the open data of the Riksdag, translated into English by AI, which may contain errors.