The Greek Parliament’s Plenary Session will discuss and vote on the new bill from the Ministry of Transport. The bill is titled “Modernization and upgrade of transport: Technical inspection – Vehicle service facilities, transport operators, passenger-road-freight transport, electromobility, Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans, regulations for standard proposals, Civil Aviation Authority and other provisions.” According to the Athens News Agency, the bill was accepted “by majority” from the relevant parliamentary Committee on Production and Trade. The majority rapporteur (New Democracy) recommended voting for the bill, while SYRIZA, Communist Party and New Left speakers voted against it. The minority rapporteur (PASOK) and speakers from Greek Solution, Victory and Course of Freedom reserved their final positions for the Plenary discussion. Concluding the bill’s processing, Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Konstantinos Kyranakis, announced changes arising from the discussion, “in a spirit of dialogue and with positive disposition”.
Taxi regulations: What will not be included in “irrevocable convictions”
1. Regarding the Criminal Registry for taxis, and “as a sign of good will”, Mr. Kyranakis submitted a legal-technical improvement to Article 41, following proposals from New Democracy rapporteur Theof. Pappas, ND Parliamentary Group Secretary Maximos Charakopoulos, PASOK rapporteur An. Nikolaidis and others. With this improvement, “transport obstruction” will not be included among irrevocable convictions that result in taxi license revocation, so that “(license revocation) is not connected with any strike mobilization.” Obviously, however, “regulations remain for assault, serious and minor bodily harm,” said Mr. Kyranakis.
2. The Deputy Minister adopted Mr. Maikopoulos’s proposal from SYRIZA, to allow for appeals after digital evaluation with QR CODE by passengers rating taxi drivers. “We will submit the exact text to the Plenary,” said Mr. Kyranakis.
3. He also adopted KEDE’s proposal, which was also supported by Communist Party MP V. Metaxas, “to remove commercial exploitation of bus stops from OASA. Commercial exploitation remains with Municipalities as before, however, after two complaints by OASA to Municipalities about abandoned or vandalized bus stops that are not repaired, OASA will be able to intervene with its own crew and create financial claims, so that the Municipality pays the cost later.”
Finally, he reminded of the bill’s regulation responding to the request “to install chargers at taxi stands.” “We will have here in Athens, at 10 taxi stands managed by OASA, fast chargers. Procedures with DEDDIE have progressed, there are still some licensing issues that need to proceed, and by the end of 2026 we will have achieved this,” said Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Kon. Kyranakis.
