Taxi drivers toy with the public

Taxi drivers continue to challenge the public, despite the problem they have caused to passengers and the huge blow they have dealt tourism.

After a fruitless meeting with the Minister of Infrastructure, Transport and Communications, Yiannis Ragousis, taxi owners have decided to continue their strike indefinitely, hardening their stance even more.

Already since Friday afternoon, taxi owners of Thessaloniki have held motorized protests causing congestion between Thessaloniki and Nea Moudania, when in fact the weekend travellers and holidaymakers had already begun trying to leave the city.

The procession of motorists began at around 5pm and arrived at Portaria, near Nea Moudania, from where it travelled back to Thessaloniki, this time at normal speeds. Police was afoot and directed the movement of vehicles through alternative routes.

The second “hit” came from Larissa motorists, who staged a symbolic occupation of Tempi for a quarter of an hour.

The blockade was symbolic, while 50 taxis were in the area protesting.

The Ministry seems determined to move ahead with the deregulation of the profession, as announced after meeting with the owners.

The communiqué added that these rules will also be governing all aspects of the profession, including the issuing of the license, driver training and new formats and taxi services.

The thriller with the taxi driver strike, however, is expected to continue into next week. On Monday afternoon, the minister will meet with the drivers. The planned meeting between Mr. Ragousis and taxi owners did not take place due to the long duration of his meeting with the owners and the fact that some provincial representatives had not managed to arrive in time.