Minister sides with unionist in taxi wrangle

Transport Minister Christos Spirtzis appeared in an Athens court on Thursday as a witness for the defense of Attica taxi drivers' union (SATA) chief Thymios Lymberopoulos, who is being sued by the CEO of ride-hailing app Beat, Nick Drandakis, for slander.

Lymberopoulos, who played a key role in the composition of a new law that imposes stricter regulations on the operation of ride-hailing services in Greece, has been calling for reforms to that legislative framework, keen to preserve the taxi drivers' hold of the market.

Hundreds of taxi drivers turned up at the courtroom to support their union leader during a 12-hour walkout on Thursday.

Spirtzis, for his part, cautiously defended Lymberopoulos, who represents some 50,000 taxi drivers.

As regards the allegedly slanderous comments the taxi union chief is said to have made against Beat and Drandakis, the...