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The strike of drivers of public trucks and tanks continues sixteen consecutive days. This became clear after the last vote on the future of the strike actions, when there were 74 votes "for" the continuation of the protest, only six “against” it and one neutral vote. Meanwhile, the tension on the Greek roads escalated dangerously as in Tuesday afternoon a shooting incident against a convoy of trucks carrying goods on the Lamia - Athens highway at Malakasa area was registered. The case was assigned to the prosecution, which began an investigation. According to initial unconfirmed information, a driver involved in the protest most likely made the shooting. No people were injured but three of the trucks were damaged. They were part of the convoy of 25 heavy trucks, which were escorted by two police cars.   

At the same time, incidents against Bulgarian drivers moving on the Greek roads became more frequent. Bulgaria has sent a protest note to the Greek Embassy in Sofia, which calls for immediate intervention of local authorities in preventing acts of abuse against the Bulgarian carriers and property in Greece. It is stated in the note that the forms of protest in the country violate the fundamental rights and freedoms of other EU citizens and affect the fundamental principles of the free market in the union.

Not only the growing tension due to the continuing strike of the drivers, but the lack of essential goods in the periphery of the country and the islands worry the Greek society and the local government. More than 4000 containers carrying goods have been waiting at the warehouses of the port of Piraeus so far and another 3000 containers are waiting there to be unloaded. Another 3000 containers are blocked at the Thessaloniki port.

"We are being ruined and nobody does anything. We can not wait any longer," commented the Chairman of the National Confederation of Greek Commerce Vassilis Korkidis the announcement of the continuation of the driver strike. Greek retailers proposed earlier in the week the protesting carriers to suspend the strike actions for a week in order to supply stores, super-markets and commercial representations in the country with goods. The proposal was rejected and the strikers refused to give a deadline to end the protest. According to the latest information, the truckers’ union allowed only the movement of vehicles carrying drugs.

According to the GRReporter information, many small shops and larger retail chains have not yet received their autumn-winter orders that were planned to arrive in early September. "We have no new supplies to offer our clients," said an owner of a clothing store in downtown Athens. He explained that the constant strikes and protests that began early in the season have made the people to go for a walk or shopping in downtown very rarely. The economic crisis and the persistent unrest in the heart of Athens have affected the trade in the capital seriously and the continuing protests of the drivers hammer another nail in the coffin of the Greek trade.  

The society is quietly awaiting the decision of the Greek government on the measures it will take to release the country from the occupation of the drivers of trucks and tanks for public use. At the end of last week was adopted and the law on liberalization of the transport market, stipulating that over 1.2 million trucks can apply for public transport services.

Before the change of the law a limit on the number of carriers was in force in Greece. There were approximately 30,000 carriers and the last official transport license was issued by the state in the early seventies of the last century. Sale of licenses (not containing the name of the holder) wasn’t unusual for the past 30 years but due to their limited number the price reached € 30,000 to even € 300,000 (according to unofficial information). In the opinion of transport unions the carriers that have entered the market in the last five years are most affected. Unionists argue that after the liberalization of the profession they will not be able to return the investment. Economic analysis, however, indicate that the liberalization of transport is crucial to the improvement of the competitiveness of the Greek market and it should result in 1 percent growth of GDP every year.