Taxi Driver Online

Taxi strike ‘postponed’ pending talks
By John Leonidou

LARNACA airport taxi drivers postponed the 48-hour strike scheduled to start yesterday morning after a request from the Minister of Communications and Works Haris Thrasou to sit round the table and discuss the problems at hand. The gesture paid off as taxi driver representatives agreed to give the government time to examine all their problems and work towards providing solutions after a meeting at the ministry yesterday afternoon.

According to reports, the Larnaca taxi drivers are demanding a reduction in VAT, to be provided with subsidised fuel, a reduction in taxi fares and a reduction from eight to five years of car taxation.

Meanwhile, the drivers complain that they face severe competition from illegal taxi drivers, who are still operating, despite handing in their taxi licences, at the airport.

The chairman of the Larnaca airport taxi drivers Christakis Nicolaou told state radio that they would discuss all options with Thrasou.

“We will not go to the Ministry demanding what we want and if we don’t get then say that we will strike. On the contrary, we are willing to discuss all options and then decide whether or not we should strike.

Nicolaou added that another problem they want to clear up with the Ministry is what they believe to be the disproportionate distribution of taxi licences by the Ministry.

“Everyone must understand that we are having serious problems at Larnaca airport and we don’t have any work. They have already given out 200 taxi licences and are going to give out more. We accepted this up to a certain point but they cannot keep giving taxi licences so easily because it is hurting out business.”

Meanwhile, Thrasou also told state radio that he was happy with the decision of the Larnaca airport taxi drivers to hold off their strike, adding that he was willing to discuss all options with them.

“We are very pleased by their decision not to strike unlike the other unions who did eventually strike. We are ready to discuss all options with them to see if this matter can be resolved. We are ready to even discuss options that we have not heard of before like for example the demand about the taxi licences, which I must admit I only found out about from reading the newspaper.

“We will not turn a blind eye to any of the new demands that they want and they can be negotiable.”

After the impromptu meeting with the minister all sides came out smiling, as the drivers agreed to give the government a grace period to discuss with all the services involved and find solutions to the five-year old problems.

Thrasou clarified that if their demands were not satisfied, they could resume yesterday’s strike measures that were postponed.

Nicolaou told reporters after the meeting that he was in complete agreement with the minister and that he had his full trust.

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
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