Taxi drivers launch 24-hour strike across Cyprus

Taxi drivers across Cyprus hit the brakes on Tuesday, launching a 24-hour strike that began at 6 a.m., with drivers at Larnaca Airport already gathered in the parking area from the early hours.

The strike is being led by the Cyprus Urban Taxi Union (POAT) and follows last week’s four-hour work stoppage, which drivers say led nowhere.

Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency, Konstantinos Magdalinidis, president of the Larnaca District Committee, said the union has run out of patience and options.

“After last week’s work stoppage, all room for dialogue has been exhausted,” he said, adding that even what he described as an “obvious request” from the union received no response.

At the heart of the dispute, according to Magdalinidis, is legality, a word he repeated more than once.

“Unfortunately, there was no response even to our basic demand, which concerns legality,” he said.

Tuesday’s strike, he stressed, is not a one-off protest but the start of wider mobilizations, now extending across the island.

“This is a pan-Cypriot action, and we are not taking even half a step back,” he said.

The union insists it is not asking for special treatment or concessions, only for rules to be applied fairly.

“We are demanding legality and justice,” Magdalinidis said. “Nothing more, nothing less.”

The strike is expected to affect taxi services throughout the day, particularly at airports and in urban centers, leaving passengers to seek alternative transport as drivers make it clear they’re in this for the long haul.