Nationwide taxi strike in Greece over transport bill

The news in Greek

1. απεργία  (f.)
   ομαδική διακοπή της δουλειάς από εργαζόμενους για να ζητήσουν καλύτερους όρους εργασίας ή μισθού ↩︎
2. διαμαρτύρομαι
   εκφράζω δυνατά ότι δεν μου αρέσει κάτι ή ότι είναι άδικο ↩︎
3. νόμος  (m.)
   κανόνας που γράφει και αποφασίζει το κράτος και που όλοι πρέπει να τηρούν ↩︎
4. μεταφορά  (f.)
   η κίνηση ανθρώπων ή πραγμάτων από ένα μέρος σε άλλο με αυτοκίνητο, λεωφορείο, τρένο, πλοίο κτλ. ↩︎
5. ηλεκτρικός
   που λειτουργεί με ηλεκτρικό ρεύμα και όχι με βενζίνη ή άλλο καύσιμο ↩︎
6. κυβέρνηση  (f.)
   ομάδα ανθρώπων που διοικεί μια χώρα και παίρνει σημαντικές πολιτικές αποφάσεις ↩︎

Translation

Text comprehension

Question 1: Why are taxi drivers in Greece going on strike?

Question 2: What change does the new law want to make to taxis?

Vocabulary

Greek	English
απεργία  (f.)	strike
διαμαρτύρομαι	to protest / to complain
νόμος  (m.)	law
μεταφορά  (f.)	transport
ηλεκτρικός	electric
κυβέρνηση  (f.)	government

Read the full story

Taxi drivers across Greece have launched a nationwide strike of indefinite duration in protest against a new transport and electromobility bill that is being discussed in the Hellenic Parliament.

The action began on Tuesday 17 March, with taxis in Attica (greater Athens) and other regions stopping work from 06:00. In Athens, drivers gathered in the city centre and held a march to Parliament, and unions have warned that further protests may target airports, ports and major roads if their concerns are not addressed.

The strike has been called by the Panhellenic Federation of Taxi Owners (POEIATA) and the Attica Taxi Drivers’ Union (SATA). Union leaders say the walkout will continue for as long as the bill is examined in parliamentary committees and up to its final vote. In practice, this means at least several days of disruption, with SATA having already announced consecutive 24‑hour strikes from Tuesday to Friday.

Taxi representatives argue that the legislation, which is promoted by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, threatens the economic survival of the sector. They focus their criticism on three main points: the obligatory switch to electric taxis, the rules for private hire vehicles with driver (E.I.X. with driver), and stricter rules on special licences and criminal records for professional drivers.

A central element of the dispute is the plan for a mandatory transition to fully electric taxis in Athens and Thessaloniki. According to the bill, from 2026 any taxi that is replaced, or any new taxi licence that is issued or transferred, must correspond to an electric vehicle. There are some limited exceptions, for example for older owners, cars that expire in 2026, or vehicles already purchased by the end of 2025, as well as cases of total destruction.

Taxi unions say these exemptions are not enough. They claim that electric cars are still too expensive for many drivers and that charging infrastructure in Greek cities is not yet adequate for vehicles that operate long hours each day. They describe the timetable as unrealistic and are demanding a significant extension of the deadline, with some organisations proposing a postponement to 2030 or even 2035. They also call for stronger subsidies and financial support to make the transition affordable.

Another highly controversial part of the bill is Article 52, which regulates the rental of private passenger cars with a driver – a service comparable to licensed chauffeur services or app‑based ride services in other countries. The ministry keeps a minimum fare for these services, but several important details, such as the minimum rental duration and the required time of pre‑booking, are left to be defined later through a simple ministerial decision.

From 2027, the bill also removes the requirement for such private hire vehicles to return to their base between rides, and this will apply throughout Greece, not only in Athens and Thessaloniki. Taxi unions fear that this combination of flexible rules will lead to a further expansion of private hire services and will place traditional taxis at a disadvantage. They ask for clear and strict operating rules for E.I.X. vehicles and demand that the ministry’s digital register be connected with the independent tax authority (AADE), so that the authorities can effectively monitor rides and prevent tax evasion.

The bill also introduces changes to special professional licences and to how a driver’s criminal record is taken into account. Taxi drivers do not reject background checks in principle, but argue that the new list of violations and penalties is too harsh and may lead to disproportionate sanctions. In addition, they express concern about a planned rating and complaint system via QR codes, which would allow passengers to submit anonymous evaluations. Unions say that, without clear safeguards, such a system could encourage unfair or malicious complaints.

Representatives from the taxi sector state that they have already held meetings with members of parliament and several ministers. They are also requesting a direct meeting with the Prime Minister, insisting that there is still time to modify what they describe as an unfair legal framework. Their official resolutions, however, continue to use strong language, reflecting a deep level of distrust towards the government’s intentions.

The dispute does not only involve taxi drivers. The Panhellenic Federation of Private Car Rental with Driver Companies (POEEMO), representing businesses that offer E.I.X. with driver, is also critical of the transport bill – though for partly different reasons. In a long statement, POEEMO says that many crucial questions are left open or transferred to future ministerial decisions, creating uncertainty for companies that want to plan their investments and staff levels.

POEEMO acknowledges that the final text of the bill includes some improvements compared with earlier drafts, but considers these changes to be of secondary importance. The federation is particularly concerned about how the law will apply on the island of Crete, which the ministry plans to treat under the same regime as mainland Greece rather than as a separate island region. The federation argues that this disadvantages local businesses and has announced what it calls the “battle of Crete”, promising to continue political and legal pressure until, in its view, the framework is harmonised with that of other Greek islands.

Moreover, POEEMO is asking for its members to receive similar incentives and subsidies for electric vehicles as taxis do, and for the obligation to switch to electric vehicles to be postponed by three years, from 2027 to 2030. It also warns that it may challenge the law in Greek and European courts if, after the bill is passed, opponents keep accusing its members of taking over taxi work or of operating illegally.

For now, the Greek government continues to promote the bill as part of a wider strategy to modernise the transport sector, reduce emissions and bring taxi and private hire rules closer to European standards. However, details of the government’s response to the current strike, and any possible amendments to the bill, have not yet been fully set out in the public statements included in these reports.

As parliamentary debates proceed, both taxi drivers and private hire companies say they are prepared for a prolonged confrontation. For residents and visitors in Greece, this could mean several days of limited taxi availability, especially in major cities and tourist gateways, while lawmakers attempt to balance environmental targets, competition in urban transport, and the protection of traditional professional groups.

Info: ‘Greek Learner News’ is a service from ‘Let’s Learn Greek’, a language school dedicated to teaching Greek through various types of online courses. It offers updates, tips and resources for Greek language learning.