Australian tourists who took a taxi to travel from Piraeus to Pangrati in Athens, Greece became victims of the ‘taxi mafia,’ according to an article in Ekathimerini.
The Australians were taken aback when they learned that the taxi fare was 350 euros. They complained and under pressure, the amount was reduced to 250 euros.
They paid but they kept the vehicle’s registration number, lodged a formal complaint, and the matter escalated, involving Airbnb, the company providing the accommodation. The driver apologised and refunded the money.
This comes as over-tourism in Greece has increased the demand for taxis and created a kind of ‘taxi mafia’ in Greece and in particular, its capital Athens.
Users of ride-hailing apps struggle to find available taxis, their requests often rejected, and incidents with drivers cherry-picking fares are not isolated. Let’s not even count how many have Point-of-Sale devices for card payments, although it is now mandatory; the result would be disappointing.
Source: Ekathimerini.
