Pictures of taxi drivers, sitting on chairs chatting outside the exit of the Larnaca airport, caused a big stir after they were posted on social media. Everyone slammed the thoughtless cabbies, for having turned the airport’s exit into a coffeeshop and embarrassing the country. This was the first impression of Cyprus given to tourists as soon as they stepped out of the airport, many commenters remarked.
Transport minister Alefis Vafeades, asked to comment about the scenes, showed his tendency for understatement, saying these were “not the best”. He said this situation, which was also evident at Paphos airport could not continue. “We cannot have fights and bloodshed at the airport or situations like those at Larnaca airport, which is like a coffeeshop outside the airport that is effectively the first experience of our visitors.”
There had been meetings with the president of the Licensing Authority and with the company running the airports, “to see how this matter could be settled”, said Vafeades. He added that there were ideas on the table, but these had to be implemented in a way that served the needs of the airports and those of the taxi drivers. It was an astonishing remark, although perfectly consistent with the presidential dogma of pandering to interest groups, in the name of dialogue.
In fact Vafeades said “we must hear what the drivers of taxis have to say” with regarding to putting things right, because it was not a case of the government imposing its wishes. This fear of the government of taking a stand on a clear-cut issue and wanting to hear the views of the people, who have turned the exit of the airport into a coffeeshop and create the worst possible impression to arriving visitors, defies belief.
Surely there are laws and airport rules that do not allow anyone to place chairs at the exit of the airport and sit around chatting. Why have the police, who are stationed at the exit of the airport, not asked the drivers to take their chairs and leave because they were causing obstruction? If the drivers refused to leave, the police should have removed the chairs by force and detained those that ignored the orders. This is what the rule of law dictates, and the police are there for its enforcement.
Then again, if the police do not have the full support of the government, which wants to have a dialogue rather than see the law enforced, they choose to ignore the situation. Nobody in government seems to understand that this fear of confronting the taxi drivers is seen as licence to do whatever they want. Maybe tomorrow they will also take a tavli to the airport exit, to play while they await passengers.
Vafeades is entitled to confer with the drivers about the situation at the airports, but only after they have cleared the airport exit of chairs and other furniture and shown a little respect for the rules.
