Cabbies offered a big carrot to renew fleet
Taxi drivers are to get the tip of a lifetime after the Transport Ministry said yesterday it will invest over 4 million euros to renew part of the fleet of cabs operating in Greece. The number of rickety taxis on the roads should be reduced as a result of this subsidy, with the government providing 4,304,500 euros toward 1,019 old cabs being replaced with new ones. The move is part of an effort to modernize the taxi business, a pariah of the transportation system because of its reluctance to change with the times. Since the current government came to power on March 7 this year, it has handed over 21 million euros to taxi drivers. A total of 7,500 cabbies have benefited from the scheme. Taxi companies which invested in a high-tech fleet and customer management system will also receive financial backing from the government shortly.
