Taxi

Taxi drivers across Greece have declared 48-hour strikes this week in protest at the government's new tax bill, which, they say, puts an undue burden on freelancers and self-employed professionals, and deals a blow to their sector. 

Taxi drivers in Athens will be on strike for 48 hours on December 5-6 and in Thessaloniki for four days on December 4-8, their respective unions have announced.

The unions are responding to government measures aimed at combating tax evasion among the self-employed.

In a deadly traffic accident in Thessaloniki on Wednesday afternoon, a city bus crossed to the opposite traffic lane sweeping away a motorbike, a taxi and another car. The woman driving the motorbike has died.

The bus driver as well as the drivers of the other two vehicles have been injured and transferred to the hospital.

Amid complaints of citizens against taxi drivers favoring tourists over them, refusing short-distance rides, or misbehaving, Istanbul police have suspended several taxi drivers from traffic for 10 days with heavy fines due to non-compliance with regulations during an inspection in Eminönü district.

Public transport and taxi prices in Istanbul have been raised by 51.52 percent while the short distance fee of yellow taxis has been hiked by 75 percent.

An official from the Istanbul Taxi Professionals Chamber has refuted claims circulating on social media that the minimum fare for taxis has been increased to 75 Turkish Liras in Istanbul.

Despite the denial, local media reports indicate that some taxi drivers have already begun implementing the alleged hike, prompting concerns among passengers.

Taxi drivers on Rhodes have said they are determined to escalate protests after more than 200 taxi drivers gathered at the island's port to block the disembarkation of about 25 cars they say are from a company that cooperates with Uber.

Taxi drivers are planning a mass protest after their colleague Hristo Traikov was killed last night in the "Rassadnika" district of Sofia.

Award-winning dissident Iranian film-maker Jafar Panahi was arrested Monday, the third director to be detained in less than a week, the Mehr news agency said.

Panahi, 62, has won a slew of awards at international festivals for films that have critiqued modern Iran, including the top prize in Berlin for "Taxi" in 2015, and best screenplay at Cannes for his film "Three Faces" in 2018.

A leaked cache of confidential files from ride-sharing company Uber illustrates ethically dubious and potentially illegal tactics it used to fuel its frenetic global expansion beginning nearly a decade ago, a joint media investigation showed Sunday.