Thousands of Greek taxi drivers march in Athens

ATHENS, July 26 | Tue Jul 26, 2011 1:21pm EDT

ATHENS, July 26 (Reuters) - Thousands of Greek taxi drivers marched in central Athens on Tuesday to protest against government plans to open up their sector to competition, a key reform prescribed by the EU and the IMF.

More than 3,000 drivers waving Greek flags and holding banners reading "taxis won't be sold out" rallied peacefully outside parliament, where Transport Minister Yannis Ragousis briefed ruling party lawmakers on the reform.

"We won't back down," said 48-year old George Volis. "We bought our licences with sacrifices."

On strike since July 18, taxi unions oppose plans to issue licences for a small fee, which would end the practice of selling them for tens of thousands of euros, saying the reform will further hurt a sector already hit by austerity.

Cab drivers blocked access to ports and airports last week and lined up at toll stations on highways in a protest which risks hurting the key tourism sector as the high season kicks off.

Greece counts on its sun-drenched islands and ancient monuments for an economic recovery as it fights a huge debt crisis and is in recession for a third straight year.

On Sunday, taxi drivers occupied ticket offices at the archaeological site on the Acropolis hill and let in scores of tourists for free.

Liberalising about 135 protected professions to improve lagging competitiveness and boost the economy has been requested by the EU and the IMF as part of a 110 billion euro bailout deal aimed at saving Greece from bankruptcy.

In practice, the opening up of sectors such as pharmacies, tourism and the legal profession has so far been limited, with the government bowing to union demands to keep some regulations in place.

Taxi drivers extended their strike and said they were determined to continue unless the government withdraws its plans. The government has repeatedly urged them to end their strike.

"The taxi strike can no longer be justified," government spokesman Elias Mossialos told Flash radio. "They (taxi owners) must discuss with the government." (Reporting by Renee Maltezou)

Bonds News
Bonds
Markets
Industrials
We welcome comments that advance the story through relevant opinion, anecdotes, links and data. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. For more information on our comment policy, see http://blogs.reuters.com/fulldisclosure/2010/09/27/toward-a-more-thoughtful-conversation-on-stories/
Comments (1)
cab498 wrote:
These Greek taxi drivers are protesting against the opportunity of a lifetime. Less regulation means more freedom. This means cab companies can expand or contract as necessary, balancing the number of drivers on the road according to market demands. More freedom means companies can charge what is necessary to please both the drivers and the customers. It means that the companies will be forced to compete on quality of service, resulting in better companies and happier customers. It means that if a driver is dissatisfied with the way his company is treating him, he can set up his own company far cheaper and easier than is currently the case. It means the bad drivers will be fired. It means the good drivers will be rewarded for hustle and customer service. They are proposing to throw away all this opportunity in favor of keeping an anachronistic socialistic methodology because they have invested in the licenses. How sad! I own a cab company (http://www.paulstaxi.com ) in the free market environment of Phoenix AZ where there is no regulation. It is a great deal better than the over regulated foolishness of Athens and most other major cities.

Jul 26, 2011 2:53pm EDT  --  Report as abuse
This discussion is now closed. We welcome comments on our articles for a limited period after their publication.
See All Comments »