Athens is bracing for significant transportation disruption as taxi drivers across the capital and the wider Attica region launch the 48-hour strike starting at 6 a.m. on Wednesday, May 28 and ending at 6 a.m. on Friday, May 30.
The Attica Taxi Drivers’ Union (SATA) announced a 48-hour strike protesting against Alternate Transport Minister Kostas Kyranakis’ refusal to meet directly with the union and discuss mounting sector grievances “despite repeated requests in this direction”.
Earlier this month, SATA sent a formal letter to Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, seeking his intervention to address what it calls “critical” and “longstanding” problems in the sector.
In its statement, the union declared it had “exhausted all possibilities of dialogue with Mr. Kyranakis”, underlining a breakdown in communication between taxi drivers and the government.
Key Demands
SATA’s demands include tougher penalties for illegal taxi operations; a tax reform that would require ride-sharing platforms based outside the country to pay taxes in Greece; regulatory clarity for both professional taxi services and rental cars with drivers; an efficient digital platform and registry for rental vehicles with drivers; the adjustment of taxi fares in line with recent minimum wage increases; the implementation of a 12,000-euro tax-deductible limit for taxi professionals; and the reduction of VAT on taxi fares, among others.
This latest strike follows a 24-hour strike last month over new traffic regulations preventing taxis from using designated bus lanes – a policy widely criticized as counterproductive to urban mobility in the Greek capital.
