The perennial hostility of the Greek state towards social economy companies, such as the radio taxi cooperatives, has a background of several years going back, unfair to them to this day.
There is suspicion from the state-fed old agricultural cooperatives that went bankrupt and the reasons are specific. Such as understaffing, dealings with the respective political system of the country, civil servant mentality, etc.
On the contrary, we have stories of urban cooperatives that showed great progress. Over time, however, they did not succeed, because they had to deal with state suspicion, state bureaucracy and the difficulty of accessing funds. Difficulties, which their competitors did not have.
In the European Union and especially in the Mediterranean countries, these companies have government support, both through equal access to funding with competitors, and to training programs for professionals to acquire expertise and skills that will help to highlight competent executives.
The oxymoron for us is that our constitution itself, in an article, provides for the support of cooperative businesses! Of course, as I mentioned before, the exact opposite is true.
At Taxi Express Patras, we have managed in the last 7 years to achieve growth and goals unprecedented for a taxi company, both locally and nationwide. With equity, which was essentially small amounts taken out of our family income at the risk of affecting our standard of living, we managed to keep the radio taxi services up and running.
The route was difficult! We went through the challenges of our time managing to survive and grow into a model company in the taxi industry.
We provide our customers with high quality services. We talk to them, listen to them and try to meet their every need.
For the first time, a taxi company is among the 10% of businesses awarded for their quality services throughout Greece.
We are the first radio taxi company in Western Greece that invested in the telematics system. At the same time, we follow the developments of technology with the aim of creating innovative services that meet the needs of our customers, of all ages, in their everyday life. We provide a set of services fully harmonized with the digital age to the businesses of our city and systematically participate in conferences and events such as IQ Patras.
In the context of corporate social responsibility, we always operate as a social economy company, promoting and supporting efforts that focus on supporting our vulnerable fellow citizens.
We collaborate and promote every cultural, sporting event, as well as scientific conferences held in Patras. Wanting to convey the message to our members that Taxi Express Patras is a living cell with multifaceted actions in our city.
However, we have major nationwide, but also local problems which create huge obstacles to our profession and its development.
A. Nationwide
We have an excessive number of taxi vehicles as there was no population ratio as in organized European states. By the time this was established, it was already too late. The result of this excess is that in most of the country the profession is no longer viable.
Horizontal legislative policy of the state.
Lack of financial support, such as fuel subsidy, vehicle replacement subsidy and general practices that apply in organized European states.
Uncontrolled application action, both from global players eg Uber, as well as from domestic and local ones. All of them see the taxi profession as the golden eldorado that will lead them to easy profit. They are powerful lobbies with pressure groups, having easy access to funding, without any substantial tax and insurance obligations. In a clever way they have kept all the rights for themselves, transferring all the obligations to the motorists. You know well that it is difficult for a small one to find his right when the strong one is wrong.
B. Locally
Unprofessional treatment by local authorities. Over time, the municipal councils reduce the positions of the sectors (taxi ranks) and many times they try to hide us from the center of the city, since in essence they treat us as interlopers who alter the image of the city.
The traffic police, in many cities, while having a high tolerance for triple parked cars. of our fellow citizens, he shows an incredible patriotism in case he sees a taxi, being waiting and outside the limits of the square (of course the fellow chooses the little illegality not to drink coffee or shop, but to claim the day’s wages).
Disrespecting our more powerful competitors. There are several times when buses replace their role and behave as means of special taxi transport.
Such as parking outside entertainment centers, when there is an event and outside of predetermined routes, informally creating a taxi rank near the person concerned.
Companies with applications aimed at younger ages offering flexible urban transport, such as scooters, electric bikes, place them next to taxi ranks without keeping up the pretences! Picking up the customer, who arrives at the square to be served by us.
We are not asking for special treatment! But we ask for rules for everyone that will help us adapt better and that all professionals have their jobs! The next day one doesn’t have to be a winner and someone else a loser.
The taxi, like some other professions, contribute substantially to the reduction of unemployment of citizens aged 50 and over, who are almost impossible to hire in the public or private companies. This gives these citizens the opportunity to be productive, useful and support their families with dignity.
We believe that the state, without conflicts and competitions, must start a meaningful discussion about the specific professions that offer multiple benefits to citizens as before we mentioned.
We believe it is better to give someone a career path than permanent benefits for the rest of their life. It is a matter of dignity and human rights. And let’s not kid ourselves…
It is difficult to train these people to acquire skills to find a job in a job jungle.
Finally, we also see in our own space how difficult it is to convince these people of the necessity of constant adaptation to the new data that emerges every time. Adaptation to conditions of technological development and fierce competition.
In a difficult environment, the Taxi Express Patras 450 000 cooperative, faithful to its principles, and with a sense of responsibility to the passenger public, calls every time to cope, offering high radio taxi services in the city of Patras. We hope that in the near future, the appropriate framework will be created by the state and the radio taxi cooperatives will compete and lead in the field of transportation on equal terms. Taxi cooperatives are businesses and should only be treated as such by the state.
Its Editorial Team
Taxi Express Patras 450 000
