Taxi drivers across Cyprus will hold a four-hour strike on Wednesday morning in protest over what they perceive as the government’s failure to help them with the problems facing their profession. According to an announcement by the Pancyprian Federation of Urban Taxis, all drivers will meet at certain points in the centre of each major town while others will meet at the main airports in Larnaca and Paphos.

They claim that the increase in the demand for public transport combined with the island’s ongoing bank crisis has crippled their businesses and effectively slashed down profits by half. The protest will take place between 6.30am and 10.30am.

Some of their demands include the abolition of new license registrations, the subsidisation of fuel and the option to increase tariffs. Representatives of the taxi drivers have so far met with Finance Minister Haris Georgiades, Communications Minister Marios Demetriades as well as representatives of the Presidential Palace, parliament, the Road Transport Department and the Department of the Registrar of Companies and Official Receiver. It is not the first time that taxi drivers in Cyprus have resorted to industrial action. A similar protest took place last week.

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