NEWS

Cabbies block airport and port in liberalization protest

Thousands of taxi drivers, who began a two-day strike on Monday morning, have blocked roads leading to Athens International Airport and the port of Piraeus.

Some 20,000 cabbies have taken to the roads to protest the government?s plans to liberalize their sector.

Prosecutor Eleni Raikou has ordered police to intervene and arrest the taxi drivers if necessary on charges of hampering travel.

Thousands of tourists have been inconvenienced by the action, which has caused travellers delays in reaching their ferries or flights.

The cabbies are hoping to convince the government to back down on its plan to remove all limits to the number of taxi licenses that can be issued.

However, Transport Minister Yiannis Ragousis has said he has no intention of re-introducing certain limits that were included in the first draft of the law by his predecessor, Dimitris Reppas.

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