A pair of Australian tourists fell victim to an outrageous cab fare after encountering ‘taxi mafia’, which saw a trip from Piraeus to Pangrati in Athens come to 350 euros, according to Ekathimerini.
The incident saw the concerned tourists protest the fee until the driver relented and reduced it to 250 euros.
The Australians paid the still very expensive fare but noted down the licence plate number and reported the driver, with Airbnb also stepping in to eventually lead to the driver apologising and returning the money.
The incident was recounted in Ekathimerini as told by a taxi driver who also shared insights into the ‘taxi mafia’, cab drivers that wait outside ports, airports and intercity bus stations to try pick up unsuspecting tourists and travellers.
The tax ‘mafia’ has supposedly arisen with the surge in tourists coming to Greece, which has caused a heightened demand for taxis, and the report states that no one can step in to stop the drivers from engaging in this behaviour.
The situation is concerning with users of cab-hailing apps struggling to find drivers to respond to their summons due to drivers turning down certain fares in favour of more promising ones.
