Filenews 2 March 2021 - Pambos Vasilas
Major changes are coming in the field of the operation of urban taxis, on a cyprus basis but also at Larnaca and Paphos airports, after reaching agreement between the professional drivers' organisations, the Licensing Authority and the Ministry of Transport. The broad outlines of the agreement were announced after more than three hours of intensive consultation by the three sides yesterday at the offices of the Department of Road Transport in Larnaca. It was preceded by a telephone speech by the Minister of Transport, Mr. Giannis Karousou, last Saturday, to representatives of the drivers, in which he made it clear that his Ministry would proceed with the long-run study to improve working conditions and conditions in the taxi profession. Explaining to them, that primarily in their own interest, they must participate in this effort and he wants them close to him.
Yesterday, after the meeting, Mr. Karusos announced in a statement that by the end of the week, the issue of changes to the double ramp, which will regulate the nearby and distant taxi routes at Larnaca airport, will be settled. At the same time, however, the Minister announced the intention of the Ministry of Transport to present within three months a Bill to the House, which will provide for a strict crackdown on the phenomenon of taxi smugglers in Cyprus who have been known to steal the custom from the professional drivers for decades, not only at airports, but in Cyprus. With some drivers stating that more than 30% of the taxi routes in Cyprus are operated by pirated taxis.
The Aim of the Ministry stressed by the Minister of Transport is to tackle this long-term illegality, while the representative of professional drivers Panagiotis Kyilis added, "this is the biggest problem that taxi drivers face today".
Speaking later exclusively to "F", the President of the Licensing Authority Christos Karas said that, "as part of a general effort undertaken by the Licensing Authority and by extension the Ministry of Transport, action was taken to modernise the profession and conditions in the taxi sector. But this could not be done while it is well known that in the industry, there is illegality on the part of pirate taxis which is essentially a carcinoma. With this data and with the guidance of the Ministry of Transport, the Licensing Authority has commissioned a Legal House to prepare proposals, which provide for: Amendment of the various laws today, so that after they have been consolidated into legislation, the process of combating the phenomenon can be simplified". Explaining, Mr. Karas said that a key disadvantage to date is that in order to combat the phenomenon of pirate taxis, legislation involving not one but various Services in the Police, the Department of Road Transport- Licensing Authority and perhaps other state departments and Services are involved. As a result, weaknesses were identified due to labyrinthine procedures in the investigation of these cases which went so far as to be reported. The aim of the Bill, Mr. Karas continued, is precisely to simplify this process of reporting pirate taxi cases, but also to pool responsibility for investigating and referring them to justice, if possible, in a single state agency.
Double ramp at the airport
With regard to the system of allocating routes to taxi drivers at the airport, so that everyone benefits from about the same short and long distances, Mr Karas stressed that the Minister of Transport remains adamant. That is to say, a software system should be installed as soon as possible to record these routes, so that at all times the Licensing Authority knows when necessary, how many routes and at what distances any of the drivers is operating.
