The Wheels of Change: From Taxi Strikes to Truck Drivers’ Demands – A Tale of Two Eras in Ethiopian History

By Ethiopian Tribune Columnist

History has a peculiar way of echoing itself, though rarely with identical notes. As Ethiopia stands at the threshold of another potential transport crisis in 2025, one cannot help but draw parallels to the pivotal role taxi drivers played during the revolutionary ferment of 1974. Today, it is the heavy truck drivers who are demanding recognition, respect, and dialogue from the government and all stakeholders. Their grievances, whilst distinct from those of their predecessors half a century ago, carry the same underlying current of economic frustration and political marginalisation that helped topple an empire.

The Revolutionary Wheels of 1974

The year 1974 marked a watershed moment in Ethiopian history, not merely because of palace intrigues or military coups, but because of the cumulative effect of various social groups asserting their collective power. Among these, the taxi drivers of Addis Ababa played a surprisingly crucial role in amplifying the revolutionary momentum that ultimately brought down Haile Selassie’s ancient regime.

The taxi drivers’ strikes of 1974 were not isolated incidents but part of a broader tapestry of labour unrest that included teachers, students, military personnel, and civil servants. However, the taxi drivers possessed a unique strategic advantage: they controlled the arteries of urban mobility. When they withdrew their services, the capital’s daily rhythm ground to a halt. Government officials couldn’t reach their offices, students couldn’t attend universities, and the middle class found themselves stranded. The psychological impact was profound, if the government couldn’t ensure basic transport services, how could it govern effectively?

What made the taxi drivers’ action particularly potent was its timing and symbolic resonance. The strikes coincided with widespread protests against rising fuel prices and inflation, issues that directly affected both drivers and passengers. The taxi drivers became the embodiment of popular economic grievances, their empty cabs serving as silent testimony to governmental failure. Their strike was not merely an industrial action; it was a visible manifestation of systemic breakdown.

The revolutionary implications were immediate. The taxi strikes demonstrated the regime’s vulnerability to coordinated civilian resistance and emboldened other groups to intensify their own protests. The Derg, which would eventually seize power, watched these events carefully, understanding that popular legitimacy required addressing the concerns of such strategically positioned groups.

The Contemporary Echo: Heavy Truck Drivers in 2025

Fast-forward to 2025, and Ethiopia finds itself confronting another transport-related crisis, though the context has fundamentally changed. The Ethiopian Heavy Truck Drivers Association (EHTDA) has issued what amounts to an economic ultimatum, warning that their marginalisation threatens the very foundation of Ethiopia’s supply chain and, by extension, public welfare.

The parallels with 1974 are striking yet incomplete. Like their taxi-driving predecessors, today’s truck drivers control critical economic infrastructure. However, their reach extends far beyond urban centres to encompass the entire national economy. As the EHTDA starkly warns: “If drivers stop working due to problems encountered on the road, the first victim is the public.” This isn’t hyperbole, it’s economic reality in a country where trucking remains the predominant mode of goods transport.

The Association’s grievances reveal a multi-layered crisis of recognition and respect. Their complaint about media neglect particularly their pointed observation that “not a single media outlet came to cover” their Driver’s Day celebration speaks to a deeper issue of social invisibility. The irony they highlight is particularly poignant: “The microphone artists sing into… is brought by a driver.” This observation cuts to the heart of modern Ethiopia’s economic contradictions, where those who facilitate cultural expression and economic activity remain voiceless in public discourse.

Government Response: Then and Now

The government’s approach to transport-related labour issues reveals both continuities and changes across the five decades separating these two crises. In 1974, the imperial government’s response to taxi strikes was characteristically heavy-handed and dismissive, treating them as mere nuisances rather than symptoms of deeper structural problems. This miscalculation contributed to the regime’s eventual downfall, as it failed to recognise the strikes’ symbolic and practical significance.

Today’s government faces a more complex challenge. The EHTDA’s complaints about “government bodies who don’t understand” their role and who “obstruct our activities” suggest a bureaucratic approach that prioritises regulatory control over economic facilitation. However, the contemporary Ethiopian state, unlike its imperial predecessor, operates within a federal system that theoretically provides more channels for grievance articulation and resolution.

The crucial difference lies in the broader economic context. Whilst the 1974 taxi strikes occurred within a largely closed, feudal economy, today’s truck drivers operate within a liberalising economy increasingly integrated into global supply chains. The stakes are correspondingly higher a trucking disruption today would have cascading effects on international trade, humanitarian aid distribution, and regional economic stability.

The Media Dimension: Silence and Amplification

One of the most telling aspects of the contemporary crisis is the EHTDA’s explicit criticism of media coverage or rather, the lack thereof. Their frustration that media outlets focus on “accidents” and “Driver killed, truck burned” rather than substantive coverage of their contributions reflects a broader problem in Ethiopian journalism: the tendency to report events rather than analyse systems.

This contrasts sharply with 1974, when media coverage, though limited and state-controlled, nevertheless amplified the symbolic power of taxi strikes. The visual impact of empty streets and stranded citizens provided compelling evidence of governmental failure that resonated beyond the immediate participants.

The EHTDA’s use of social media and the hashtag #የአሽከርካሪዎች_ድምጽ (“Drivers’ Voice”) represents an attempt to circumvent traditional media gatekeepers and directly address the public. This digital dimension adds a new layer to contemporary labour organisation that was obviously absent in 1974.

Economic Leverage: Urban vs. National

The fundamental difference between the taxi strikes of 1974 and the current truck drivers’ demands lies in the scope of their economic leverage. Taxi drivers in 1974 could paralyse Addis Ababa, but their impact remained largely urban. Today’s heavy truck drivers, by contrast, control the flow of “fuel, medicine, food, oil, and general commodities” across the entire nation.

This expanded reach means that the EHTDA’s warnings carry potentially catastrophic implications. As they bluntly state: “Without them, everything stops.” This is not the rhetoric of a trade union seeking better wages; it’s the language of a group that recognises its systemic importance and demands commensurate recognition.

The Association’s emphasis on their role as “the crucial pillar of Ethiopia’s logistics activity” reflects an understanding of modern economic realities that transcends traditional labour-management relations. They position themselves not as supplicants seeking favour, but as essential infrastructure demanding respect.

Lessons Unlearned?

The question confronting Ethiopia’s current leadership is whether they will learn from the historical precedent of 1974 or repeat the mistakes that contributed to revolutionary upheaval. The imperial government’s dismissive attitude towards taxi drivers was symptomatic of a broader failure to recognise and address legitimate grievances before they metastasised into revolutionary momentum.

The EHTDA’s current campaign bears uncomfortable similarities to the preliminary phase of the 1974 revolutionary process. Their demands for recognition, respect, and media attention mirror the early stages of social mobilisation that eventually coalesced into regime change. However, the contemporary Ethiopian state has tools and institutions that were absent in 1974 federal structures, civil society organisations, and media pluralism that could potentially channel grievances into constructive dialogue rather than confrontation.

The Path Forward: Recognition and Integration

The solution to the current impasse lies not in ignoring the truck drivers’ demands or treating them as mere industrial relations issues, but in recognising their systemic importance and integrating their concerns into broader economic planning. The EHTDA’s call for “understanding and protection from the public to the highest levels” should be understood not as special pleading but as an economic necessity.

This recognition must be both symbolic and substantive. Symbolic recognition involves acknowledging truck drivers’ vital role in national discourse, ensuring media coverage of their contributions beyond accident reports, and treating their associations as legitimate stakeholders in economic policy discussions. Substantive recognition requires addressing their operational challenges, from road safety and bureaucratic harassment to fair representation in logistics sector planning.

Conclusion: The Wheels Keep Turning

The taxi strikes of 1974 helped accelerate Ethiopia’s transition from imperial rule to revolutionary government, demonstrating the political potency of transport-related labour action. Today’s truck drivers face a different Ethiopia operating within different constraints and opportunities. However, their fundamental message remains consistent with their predecessors’: those who keep the wheels of the economy turning deserve recognition, respect, and response to their legitimate grievances.

The government’s reaction to the EHTDA’s demands will serve as a litmus test for its understanding of modern economic realities and its capacity to learn from historical precedent. The choice is clear: engage constructively with these essential workers or risk the economic disruption they warn could follow. History suggests that ignoring such warnings comes at considerable cost.

As the EHTDA concludes: “Disrupting income-generating trade is the biggest obstacle to Ethiopia’s economy.” The wheels of change are already in motion; the question is whether they will turn towards constructive dialogue or repeat the revolutionary patterns of the past. The choice, ultimately, rests with those in power but the consequences will be borne by all Ethiopians.

The author is a regular columnist for the Ethiopian Tribune, specialising in political economy and historical analysis.