diff --git a/amarillo/app/utils/__init__.py b/amarillo/app/utils/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/amarillo/app/utils/container.py b/amarillo/app/utils/container.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5cc69ed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/amarillo/app/utils/container.py
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+
+container = {}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/amarillo/app/utils/utils.py b/amarillo/app/utils/utils.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..51a48e6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/amarillo/app/utils/utils.py
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+import os
+import re
+from datetime import datetime, date, timedelta
+from pyproj import Geod
+
+def assert_folder_exists(foldername):
+    if not os.path.isdir(foldername):
+        os.makedirs(foldername)
+
+
+def agency_carpool_ids_from_filename(carpool_filename):
+    """ 
+    Returns agency_id, carpool_id from a carpool filename.
+    It is assumed, that carpool_filename matches the regex
+    /([a-zA-Z0-9_-]+)/([a-zA-Z0-9_-]+).json$
+    """  
+    m = re.search(r'\/([a-zA-Z0-9_-]+)\/([a-zA-Z0-9_-]+)\.json$', carpool_filename)
+    if m:
+        return m[1], m[2]
+    else:
+        return None, None
+
+def is_older_than_days(date_to_check, number_of_days):
+    if date_to_check is None:
+        return True
+    if isinstance(date_to_check, datetime):
+        date_to_check = date_to_check.date()
+    return date_to_check < date_days_ago(number_of_days)
+
+def yesterday():
+    return date_days_ago(1)
+
+def date_days_ago(number_of_days):
+    return date.today() - timedelta(days=number_of_days)
+
+def geodesic_distance_in_m(coord1, coord2):
+    geod = Geod(ellps="WGS84")
+    lons = [coord1[0], coord2[0]]
+    lats = [coord1[1], coord2[1]]
+    return geod.line_lengths(lons, lats)[0]
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/amarillo/main.py b/amarillo/main.py
index 2db61f3..c27e6a9 100644
--- a/amarillo/main.py
+++ b/amarillo/main.py
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ app = FastAPI(title="Amarillo - The Carpooling Intermediary",
 import importlib
 import pkgutil
 
-import amarillo.plugins # FIXME this namespace does not exist if there are 0 plugins installed
+import amarillo.plugins
 
 
 
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index a85c402..289d973 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -5,5 +5,6 @@ dependencies = [
     "fastapi[all]==0.104.0",
     "uvicorn[standard]==0.23.2",
     "pydantic[dotenv]==2.4.2",
-    "starlette"
+    "starlette",
+    "pyproj==3.6.1",
 ]
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index 770e810..2150765 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 fastapi[all]==0.104.0
 uvicorn[standard]==0.23.2
 pydantic[dotenv]==2.4.2
-starlette
\ No newline at end of file
+starlette
+pyproj==3.6.1
\ No newline at end of file