Athens cabbies stage protest over ‘pauperization cocktail’

Hundreds of taxi drivers gathered at central Athinon Avenue on Tuesday morning and began a motorcade to the Transport Ministry, north of downtown Athens, in protest at rising operation costs and unfair competition.

“The ‘cocktail’ of pauperization the government has prepared for Greek society has slammed every worker without mercy, including, of course, as the taxi sector,” the union representing taxi drivers, SATA, said in an announcement.

Among other measures being called for by SATA, the union is demanding the right to increase the minimum fare from 4 euros to 5 euros as well as the fare for service to and from Athens International Airport; to extend the requirement that all new taxis entering service are zero-emission to 2035 from 2026; the lifting of restrictions on seven- and nine-seat mini-vans; a reduction on value-added tax on fuel from 24% to 13% for as long as the energy crisis continues; a tax-free threshold on income of 12,000 euros; subsidies for fuel and vehicle purchases; and measures cracking down on “unfair competition” from ride-sharing platforms.