— Minister exposes ridiculous demands —
The Employers and Industrialists Association, OEV, has criticised Tuesday’s 24-hour strike staged by taxi drivers who feel threatened by competition from mini-bus operators and blame the government for indifference to their problems.
The strike centred in Larnaca town, Larnaca and Paphos airports and at Limassol’s port, where the taxi drivers closed access to the airport for 15 minutes and prevented other taxis and mini-buses from entering.
Andreas Georgiou, president of the Larnaca airport drivers’ association, said the problem was the growing phenomenon of pirate drivers, mini-buses that carry more passengers than them, and shuttle buses.
News reports have recently suggested that Asian workers offer an alternative to expensive taxis, often charging passengers in their saloon cars a fraction of what licensed taxi drivers charge.
However, in its response, OEV was highly critical saying that “in an age when all professions are being deregulated, we are still suffering from strikes in the ‘closed shop’ professions. It’s high time the state liberates society in general from these ‘closed’ professions and allows the consumer the right to choose.”
The OEV announcement added that the taxi drivers’ strike was “unacceptable and inexcusable”, adding that this action “hurts all efforts to attract tourism to Cyprus and we call on the Minister of Communications and Works to stick to his position and not give in to the blackmail from taxi drivers.”
Cyprus is well known to have one of the most expensive taxi networks in Europe with tourists often reporting exorbitant fares from the two airports to towns of as much as 70 euros, while high fixed and initial tariffs have forced people to seek alternative rides, giving popularity to the hourly airport shuttles from all towns to Larnaca and Paphos, some of which charge 7 or 8 euros per person.
Ministry reveals all
The Ministry of Communications and Works also issued a statement criticising the taxi drivers’ strike and called it “unwarranted and inexcusable,” especially as it was already involved in a dialogue with the taxi drivers.
On three of the four issues tabled by the taxi drivers, the Ministry expressed “significant convergence” on the ways to resolve the problems, but staunchly opposed the taxi drivers’ demand that shuttle buses terminate their schedule within Larnaca town and passengers be forced to take another bus or a taxi to the airport.
“It is obvious that such an arrangement would not serve the public,” the Ministry said in its statement, adding that public transport is high on this administration’s agenda and that the aim was to offer “efficient, reliable and affordable public transport. Every citizen should have a choice of using a bus or a taxi.”
