Infrastructures, Transport & Networks Minister Yiannis Ragoussis on Monday announced the complete deregulation of the taxi cab sector, clarifying that he will not sign the presidential decree prepared by his predecessor because it did not provide for the issuance of new licences in the greater Athens and Thessaloniki areas, the two most populous regions in the country.

Deregulation of the specific sector came into effect on July 2, with individuals interested in acquiring a taxi licence now required to merely file an application with regional authorities.

The amount of the application fee will be decided within the next three months, and according to Ragoussis, it will be very low. Conditions for acquiring a taxi licence, i.e. a clean criminal record by the applicant, will also be announced soon.

Ragoussis also announced that public transport means in Athens will soon offer free Wi-Fi wireless internet access to commuters.