Taxi drivers nationwide to strike on Monday

Taxi drivers across Cyprus are set to go on strike on Monday, beginning at 7am.

They are set to gather in protest at the GSP stadium in Nicosia, the new port in Limassol, and the Larnaca and Paphos airports.

Explaining drivers’ grievances to CyBC, Nicosia urban taxi association chair Pambos Avgoustinos said “the transport ministry ignored our request for a meeting and responded only when we said we were going on strike.”

He said he had received an email on Friday afternoon saying that taxis would be allowed to use the bus lane while travelling into Nicosia.

In response, Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades said taxi drivers’ attitude is “surprising.”

He added that taxi drivers are allowed to use the bus lane from October 4, and that his ministry is already considering measures to combat the issue of fake taxis, which is one of the drivers’ main complaints.

Those measures, he said, will be discussed in parliament in due course.