Mass Transit, Taxi Strike to Affect Greater Athens Area on Wed.

Greece’s Confederation of Civil Servants’ Union (ADEDY) has declared a 24-hour nationwide strike for Wednesday, Feb. 28, which will mostly affect mass transit in the greater Athens area, such as buses, trolley cars and fixed rail networks.

Traffic congestion is expected to be exacerbated by the fact that a taxi drivers’ union (SATA) has also declared a 48-strike for Tuesday and Wednesday.

The schedule for the traffic stoppages is as follows:

• Buses and trolleys will run from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Wednesday.
• Unions representing employees of the electric train (HSAP) and suburban railway will participate in the 24-hour strike, as will the metro and tram employees.
• Ferry boats routes will also be interrupted on Wednesday.

The taxi divers’ union is demanding, among others, free access to bus lanes for cabs carrying passengers, a crackdown on illegal hires  and a five-euro hike in the fixed Athens International Airport to the city center fare (i.e. from 40 to 45 euros).

The union, which however only attracts a fraction of the cab owners and drivers in its relevant election, also demands a nine-year suspension of a mandatory zero-emission obligation for taxis, from 2026 to 2035.