Taxi drivers will launch a 24-hour strike on Wednesday, July 6, 2011, protesting the opening of their ‘closed profession’. Greece lenders’ have asked the opening of closed professions in order to boost competitiveness. In the last decades taxi licences were very attractive and expensive, costing between 150,000 and 200,000 euro. 14,000 taxi are currently licences in Athens, a city with 4 million residents.
Taxi Drivers’ Federation claim that they had the assurance of the previous Minister for Transport, Dimitris Reppas, that Taxis in Athens and Thessaloniki would be excepted from the law for the opening of closed professions. However the new Minister, Yiannis Ragousis, threw the agreement over board and so the taxi drivers in Athens will pull the brake at 5 a.m. on July 6, 2011.
On Wednesday taxi drivers plan to attend a meeting with the Minister and protest with a vehicles convoy.
Today, taxi drivers on Crete were on strike.
If this agreement between Reppas and the TDF has existed this would be scandaleus.
And this is the guy who is now Minister for Administrative Reform? Then we know exactly that shady deals are made right now and nothing will change.
The worst part of any trip to Athens is getting a taxi, I always try to avoid it whenever I can.
Unfortunately there are a lot of drivers who wants to ripp off the customers. But there is always a but! There are also friendly and good drivers, not cheating. For example taxidrives.gr And don’t forget the customers sometimes are also wrong.
Ragkoysis it is to blaim as minister of transports for the situation in Greece that has as result the strike TAXI.
lymperopoylos they is chairman of association and gives fight for the workers taxi
The strike the taxi is continued who fighting with closure of harbours and airports.
The fight TAXI it should they is who dynamic should this government fall resign Ragkoysis that is responsibility as minister of transports and brought the sector in impass