WORLDWIDE from Italy
ITALY’S TAXI DRIVERS HIGHLIGHT LOSS OF INCOME DUE TO COVID-19
Italy’s taxi drivers went on strike on, Friday 6 November, to highlight the economic difficul- ties facing their sector due to the Covid-19 emer- gency and related restrictions. According to Italian news agency ANSA, the drivers striked from 8am until 10pm. There were also protests in cities across Italy, including Rome, where drivers demonstrated outside the ministries for the economy and transport. “We are forced to stop because we don’t even have the money for fuel anymore,” Alessandro Genovese, national director of the UGL taxi union, told MilanoToday, adding that, to date, the state aid that has arrived “is really minimal.” Taxi drivers say they are demanding specific economic aid to their sector, according to Italian media reports. Emilio Boccalini, president of TaxiBlu, the largest Milanese radio taxi, said that taxi drivers stopped on Friday 6, but: “in reality we have stopped for months.” He told MilanoToday: “We are at an all-time low with fares. We not only risk losing our jobs, but of seeing an entire sector disappear.”
from Cyrus
TAXI DRIVERS STRIKE, DEMANDING HELP FROM STATE IN CYPRUS
Taxi drivers in the Cypriot capital, Nicosia, held a one-day strike on Tuesday 3 Novem- ber, demanding measures from the government
to
help the industry, which they claim
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has been badly affected by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The Cyprus Mail reports that the Association of Taxi Owners and Drivers said the government needs to issue “extraordi- nary and practical measures to support their sector. Moves and measures without content and with vague answers and hollow promises without commitments will not be accept- ed,” they added. “We are sounding the alarm because taxi drivers have been irreparably affected and they want an immediate response,” the Association said. Representative Kyriacos Shiakallis, said that despite the dif- ficulties faced by taxi drivers throughout the year the taxes that the government imposed on them have not been lowered, nor have they received any substantial aid. “It’s been an exceptionally tough year for everyone,” he told Cyprus Mail, “but especially for taxi drivers, who rely heavily on the summer season to survive. “With no tourists, we expected that the government would lower the taxes on taxi drivers and owners. None of that happened, whereas other professions received financial aid from the state,” he said. Shiakallis added that, despite only taking place in Nicosia, taxi drivers all over the island supported the strike. “We have almost no work. Today, for example, only five flights landed at Larnaca airport. We understand that times are difficult and that we have to limit our movements in order to stop the virus, but, at the same time, we are being left with no help from the government,” he said.
from USA
TESLA MODEL 3 WINS HEARTS AS FAMED NYC TAXI
Images of a Tesla Model 3 being used as a New York City cab, complete with the fleet’s iconic yellow paint, have started making the rounds online. The vehicle signifies what could very well be an upcoming shift towards sustainability for NYC’s taxi fleet. It also symbolises a second chance for all-electric vehicles, especially considering the failure of the Nissan Leaf taxis in previous years. This failure of the Leaf has been a cloud above all-electric cars until 2019, when reports emerged stating that the Tesla Model 3 had been approved for taxi service in the city. The all-electric sedan more than meets the minimum require- ments for NYC cabs. These requirements include ample interior space, air conditioning for rear-seat passengers, seats that are easy to clean, and enough cabin space to install a clear partition.
DECEMBER 2020
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