Taxi drivers in Athens are set to stage an 18-hour strike beginning at midnight on Sunday and ending at 6 p.m. on Monday. The action was announced by the Attica Taxi Drivers’ Union (SATA) to allow members to take part in an extraordinary general assembly scheduled for 10 a.m. on Sept. 22 at the Peristeri Exhibition Center.

The union describes the current situation in the sector as a critical turning point, pointing to renewed discussions over the full liberalization of urban transport services. According to SATA, such changes threaten the viability of the profession, the livelihood of thousands of families, and the legal framework that defines taxis as a public service.

Taxi drivers express concern over issues ranging from mandatory electrification and tax burdens to illegal operations and what they see as the encroachment of multinational companies into the market.

They accuse the government of facilitating this shift through legislative measures that, in their view, undermine constitutional and European legal principles governing passenger transport.

The union emphasizes that the erosion of their role is no longer a distant prospect but an ongoing process. It has called on all members to participate in Monday’s assembly, stressing that collective action will determine the future of the profession.