The 30,000 taxis that circulate on the roads of Greece put a heavy burden on the country’s environment, contributing to the greenhouse effect and spreading atmospheric pollution in the country’s cities.

It is no small wonder that the state (which issues taxi licenses) has not worked out some kind of policy to gradually replace these diesel-fueled vehicles with eco-friendly hybrid cars.

Such a policy would achieve many goals – and not all of them environmental.

Let us not forget that Greece is one of the countries with the greatest dependency on petroleum.

The good news is that at the moment there are 21 pioneering taxi owners in Greece who have switched over to hybrid technology.

With the right incentives – which surely would be co-funded by the European Union – it would be possible to replace diesel-powered taxis and to reduce the atmospheric pollution in the cities.

All that is needed to achieve this is a political decision and some basic planning.