TAXI drivers are going on a two hours warning strike on Monday, from 6 till 8am, claiming that the government is unwilling to solve their problems.
Speaking on behalf of the taxi drivers during a House Communication and Works committee meeting, Kyriakos Moustakas said that the increase in public transportation users and the financial crisis had cut the taxi business in half.
“If their plea isn’t heard by the government they will escalate their response,” said Moustakas, adding that many taxi drivers were being driven to unemployment.
The taxi drivers want the state to stop issuing new licences, allow drivers to increase the tariff and also subsidise their fuel in the same way as farmer.
Diesel prices are now at €1.45 per litre, whereas diesel for farmers costs €1.05 per litre.
“Taxi drivers don’t want prices to go up but they really have no other choice. When costs go up prices have to go up too,” Moustakas said.
Committee chairman, DIKO MP Antonis Antoniou said it would cost the state €1.9m annually to subsidise diesel for taxis, something that the finance ministry was unwilling to do.
Antoniou promised that road tax for new taxis would be increased to discourage new taxi drivers, while the House is also considering a maximum limit on licences. The committee suggested that at the same time road tax for existing taxis be decreased to €70.
“It’s not easy to satisfy all the requests of every single group of people but this is a group that faces many serious problems. Many taxi drivers just can’t make enough money to feed their families,” he said.
The post Taxi drivers to stage two-hour strike over ongoing problems appeared first on Cyprus Mail.