Athens taxi drivers will strike for 18 hours, from midnight Sunday, September 21 to 6 p.m. Monday, September 22, 2025.
- Athens taxi drivers will strike for 18 hours from midnight Sunday to Monday.
- The protest targets new regulations favoring ride-hailing platforms.
- Travelers should expect disruptions in airport, port, and city transfers.
Athens taxi drivers will park their vehicles from midnight Sunday until 6 p.m. Monday in protest against what their union, SATA, calls unfair government regulations.
The strike, announced late in the week, is meant to highlight drivers’ opposition to a joint ministerial decision they say tilts the market in favor of multinational ride-hailing companies, leaving self-employed drivers behind. SATA also wants relief from heavy taxation and rejects the government’s plan for a mandatory shift to electric vehicles.
“They are trying to finish us off, to end the taxi driver’s free profession and hand over our work to private companies,” warned SATA president Thymios Lymberopoulos.
An extraordinary general assembly is scheduled for 10 a.m. Monday, when union leaders are expected to decide on the next steps. “If we don’t react now, tomorrow may be too late. It’s either us or them,” SATA said in a statement.
For visitors in Athens, the strike means no taxis for most of Monday. Transfers to and from Athens International Airport and Piraeus port will be particularly difficult. Ride-hailing apps may see longer waits and surge pricing. Public transport — metro, buses, and suburban trains — will be the only reliable alternatives. Travelers should plan extra time for connections, especially if catching ferries or flights.