To tell you the truth, they are partially right. From what I read in the new bill, one cab license owners will be certainly ‘killed’ as the new preconditions for a license will make it impossible to an average Greek to obtain them.
I was speaking with a taxi owner/driver two week ago who was taking me to the airport. The man was 45-50 years old, and father of two. He was not of the type of always-complaining Greek cab drivers and he had studied Biology but was not able to find a job when he finished. He has been driving a taxi for 2o years. He said that he had half the license but two years ago bought the other half to make a living and pay back his license loan.
Since last year, when the fare prices increased parallel to the economic crisis, he noticed a 40-50% decrease in revenues. “I work 12-15 hours per day and sometimes I go home with 30 or 40 euro.” My wife is jobless. I will not be able to comply with the new bill because I can’t afford it. I’d need to buy soon a new car. That’s not possible. So I’d rather go and work as taxi driver to the new companies that will settle here.”.
He was clear and spoke without sentiment. We talked also about the taxi fares. I was so much surprised some days before to have paid 15 euro to go in the north suburbs of Athens and 28 to return because it was after 12 midnight and there was double fare. “Yes, the double fare is extremely high”, he said and warned me not to return from the airport on midnight fare then I would pay something like 50-55 euro. When reaching the airport I had to pay 33 euro. “Until last year, I used to pay €25 and had 2 luggage with me [luggage transport is charged extra, as if it is carried by drivers’ hands]. That’s why cabs are queueing at the taxi stations, ” I told him.
“Yeap!” he answered, winked at me and wished me ‘a pleasant trip’.
When I returned I took the airport bus and covered the 3-km distance from the bus stop to my home with a taxi. All in all I paid just 15 euro. HA!
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