Taxi drivers across Cyprus staged a 24-hour strike as of 6am on Tuesday, escalating their protest over what they describe as widespread illegal passenger transport and weak enforcement of taxi regulations, with unions warning of an indefinite stoppage from January 27 if no action is taken.
Striking drivers gathered at Larnaca and Paphos airports and the Potamos Yermasogia car park in Limassol.
Drivers are demanding strict implementation of existing regulations and a ban on app-based airport pickups by unlicensed operators.
Head of the taxi drivers union Poat’s Larnaca branch Constantinos Magdalinides said the strike marked the start of sustained measures, stressing that drivers were seeking legality and fairness to protect their livelihoods.
In Paphos, taxi drivers assembled at the airport parking area, describing illegal or “pirate” taxis as the biggest threat to the sector.
Drivers said the problem had doubled in recent years, with private individuals using apps to transport passengers without licences, insurance or oversight.
President of the Paphos airport taxi drivers Leonidas Kouris said drivers were being undercut by intercity taxis operating illegally within cities, rural taxis working outside their licensed areas and rental cars transporting passengers in violation of the law.
He said many drivers now wait up to 24 hours for a single fare, with only 50 to 60 licensed taxis operating in the district.
Drivers also raised access issues at Paphos airport, saying security arrangements and parked buses make it difficult for licensed taxis to reach passengers, while app-based services operate freely.
They said current systems allow taxis from other cities to pick up return fares without proper reservations.
Poat president Dinos Constantinou, speaking in Limassol, said illegal transport had multiplied over the past five years despite legislation introduced in 2024, pointing to failures in enforcement by the transport ministry and its inspectors.
He said policing at airports, ports and marinas was effectively absent and called for joint operations with police if inspectors were unable to cope.
Constantinou also criticised online platforms that, he said, employ private individuals, including former taxi drivers who lost their licences for serious offences.
He warned that passengers using such services are not covered by insurance and said authorities must inform the public and restore strict controls.
This is the second strike by taxi drivers this month, following a four-hour stoppage on January 13.
Union officials said an indefinite strike from next Tuesday will be decided unless decisive measures are announced in the coming days.
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