Athens will be without taxis for two days, specifically on February 27 and 28, according to an announcement by the Attica Taxi Motorists Union (SATA). A rally and protest march to the Ministry of Transport is also planned.

Among the demands of the Union are the permanent stay of the VAT rate on taxi services at 13%, the lifting of the obligation to register new taxi cars only with zero emissions from 2026 and the free passage on bus lanes for loaded taxis.

At the same time, SATA asks the government why it allows “illegal applications that use either taxis or E.I.H. to pay no tax, to take their money abroad, leaving legal professional motorists with only tax burdens”.

The entire announcement by SATA:

The economic governance model chosen by the government has targeted every form of individual entrepreneurship in our country. Yesterday it was the freelancers, today the farmers, tomorrow some others. The impoverishment policies of the Greek population are implemented with summary procedures. However, they trigger immediate social developments with an unknown outcome.

Seeing these developments, experiencing the government’s attack on our industry and having no other way to react, we convened an emergency board of directors yesterday to discuss how we will protect the taxi and our work. Once again we witnessed union inaction, unprecedented in the history of our union. The opposition is denying that our industry has problems, denying that the government has launched an all-out attack on taxis, denying that multinationals are churning out of control, denying that private cars are stealing our transport work. The opposition with its attitude approves and accepts as correct, every decision of the government.

Any form of reaction from SATA is immediately rejected by the opposition. The same thing happened in yesterday’s meeting. The only thing they are interested in is how they will prevent Lymberopoulos from participating in the elections of the sectoral trade union organizations. And this is why the law 1712/87 that governs the professional organizations of taxi drivers is clear. The taxi owner has the right to vote and be elected.

The SATA board has categorized its demands and is fighting for them with all its might:

  • Free passage in bus lanes for loaded taxis.
  • We want an answer from the Government, because it allows illegal applications that use either taxis or E.I.H. to pay no tax, to take their money abroad, leaving legal professional motorists with only tax burdens.
  • Adjustment of predetermined price for the route Athens Airport – City Center from 40 euros to 45 euros (invoice 1) and from 55 euros to 60 euros (invoice 2).
  • Permanent stay of the VAT rate on taxi services at 13%.
  • Removal of the mandatory registration of new Taxi cars only with zero emissions from 2026. The proposal of SATA is to postpone this obligation for 2035.
  • Legislative regulation for the special license and adjustment of the criminal record. With this regulation, the obstacle of granting or renewing the special license of E.D.X. should be dealt with. car, when from the criminal record certificate for judicial use to prove the attendance of para. c’ of par. 2 of article 95 of law 4070/2012 (A82), offenses of article 100 of law 4070/2012 arise.

Regarding the adjustment of the penalties, we propose:

  • Violations such as customer harassment, violation of priority in the square, overcharging customers, currency changes, to be transferred to the category of high-rated penalties with an administrative fine of 1,000 euros and removal of a special license.
  • Review and digitization of special permits.
  • Correct implementation of the digital platform for E.I.X. contracts. and creating a register for guided rentals. Increase of the minimum contract price of E.I.X by 33%.
  • Clear and without gray areas separation of the services provided by the Taxi and the rental car with a driver. Only taxis provide urban transport. With the taxi the passenger makes urban transport. With E.I.X he buys time for his movement. Getting from point A to point B is a task that belongs to the taxi. No tolerance for misinterpretations like those attempted by the former deputy minister Michalis Papadopoulos to favor the rentals with a driver.
  • Immediate implementation of the decision of the Ministry of Finance (Papanatsiou) on the collection of the fee.
  • Exemption or reduction of VAT for the purchase of a commercial car classified as ETX Taxi.
  • Abolish the pretense fee.
  • Subsidies for the purchase of all types of cars classified as taxis, or an increase in the age limit for the classification of a used car as an ETX from five (5) to eight (8) years.

These are all issues that have not been resolved and are holding the industry captive to stagnation. For the presidency, the government’s indifference is a cause of war. The Board of Directors of SATA decided at its meeting yesterday that there is no time to lose.

Struggle is the only way. On February 27 and 28, Athens taxis are on strike. In addition to the General Assembly for the harmonization of our statutes with what the legislation stipulates, we are planning a rally and a protest march to the Ministry of Transport. We invite all colleagues from all over Greece to join us and claim better days for the taxi. We call on all colleagues to turn their backs on partisan unionism and corporate interests that are poisoning our industry. The taxi will always be on the side of the wronged and the fighters. Never with the submissives and the partisans.