48 hours of protest: Taxi drivers in Athens block city traffic!

48 hours of protest: Taxi drivers in Athens block city traffic!

Athen, Griechenland - In Athens, the taxi drivers plan an extensive protest that will significantly impair traffic in the capital. A 48-hour strand has been announced for the coming days to demonstrate against the current Uber and taxi policies of the Athener Airport and the Ministry of Finance. This comes from a report by Südkurier

The planned actions include taxi corsos, which will block central traffic arteries on both days. Tourists who have to organize the necessary transport between the city center and the airport by public transport are particularly affected. According to estimates, there are currently around 10,000 German tourists in Athens who could be affected by the protests.

reasons for the strike

A central concern of the taxi drivers is the allocation of stops for Uber vehicles in the arrival area of ​​the Athens Airport. This has led to frustrations from the regular taxi drivers, as they often have to wait for passengers for a long time, while Uber drivers can be ordered specifically by app. Furthermore, the drivers criticize the fixed price set by the Ministry of Finance for trips between the city center and the airport. During the day, this is 40 euros, 55 euros at night for the approximately 38 -kilometer route. The Athens taxi driver's union expresses that these fixed prices are not cost-covering in view of the high traffic volume and the varying routes.

In addition, the SATA union, which organizes the strike, calls for various measures to improve its working conditions. This includes access to bus traces, regulation of the competition with rental car services and combating illegal discounts from platforms such as Uber and Bolt. Also an increase in the minimum contract price by 33% and a shift in the introduction of the obligation to emission-free vehicles up to 2035 are on the agenda of the taxi drivers, such as Ekathimerini reports.

reactions and resistance

The protests of taxi drivers are part of a larger wave of strikes and work-ups in Athens and take up a broader discomfort within society. In addition to the taxi drivers, teachers and journalists also started campaigns this week to point out various social and labor law grievances. While teachers carried out a three -hour work -laying on Monday, journalists want to stand up for their rights on Tuesday, which means that no newspapers will appear on Wednesday.