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Authorities in Playa del Carmen are putting new mechanisms in place to monitor taxis, which have caused significant issues throughout the Riviera Maya.
In Cancun, there have been reports of taxi drivers being involved in criminal activities, such as selling drugs and violence against drivers and tourists using Uber.
In response, Playa del Carmen’s Lazaro Cardenas Taxi Union is taking action to restore faith in the city’s taxi industry.
The union will place GPS monitoring systems in their taxis to track locations and ensure good behavior.
General Secretary of the Lazaro Cardenas Taxi Union, Luis Herrera Quiam, spoke out on the new initiative to reassure passengers that the union always puts citizen safety first.
“We ensure security in our municipality and our state according to the guidelines put in place by our governor, Mara Lezama,” said Secretary Herrera Quiam.
This technology has already been used to clear the name of a taxi driver accused of violence in Cancun.
GPS data showed that the driver did not participate in the violent activity which took place on Fifth Avenue in Cancun.
The union will monitor the GPS data 24 hours a day and 365 days a year.
Ultimately, the Lazaro Cardenas Taxi Union hopes this action will protect drivers and passengers both.
Cancun Actions
Cancun, in particular, is known for having aggressive taxi drivers and violent conflicts between taxi and Uber drivers.
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This year has seen worsening conditions in the transportation industry, with tourists often caught in the middle.
Recently, a new law was passed allowing Uber to operate in the city. Taxi drivers have responded violently, at times attacking Uber drivers and their passengers.
In January, taxi drivers attacked an Uber vehicle with tourists on board with stones, hitting a passenger window.
June saw two more incidents of violence affecting tourism.
The first occurred on June 1, when taxi drivers broke the windows of an Uber vehicle and attacked its driver.
The second incident involved stones being thrown at an Uber vehicle.
Each incident resulted in the revocation of the taxi driver’s license. Quintana Roo Secretary of Government Cristina Torres Gomez stated that “drivers will not be able to operate at the end of the investigations; these actions will not be tolerated, and the ideal sanctions will be sought.”
In one extreme case, acid was thrown at an Uber vehicle while a tourist was on board. Luckily, nobody was hurt.
As a result, Cancun is creating a stricter regulatory framework for taxi drivers.
Misbehaving taxi drivers are now threatened with up to 18 years of prison time for some offenses.
Why Tourists Choose Taxis
Despite their increasingly bad reputation, many tourists continue to use taxis while traveling in the Riviera Maya.
One of the main reasons that tourists continue to use taxis is the opportunity to speak to local drivers who know the Riviera Maya well.
Drivers may have tips that travelers will not find in guidebooks or on the internet, such as off-path destinations, top restaurants, and quiet beaches.
Many tourists find a taxi driver they trust to get the most out of their vacation.
Most tourists who travel to the Riviera Maya leave their resorts and hotels to experience local dining, clubs, archaeological attractions, and beaches.
Nevertheless, finding convenient transportation in the region without renting a car can be challenging.
Travelers with a taxi driver’s phone number handy find it much easier to get to and from hard-to-reach places.
Fraudulent Taxis
While taxis are a convenient way to travel around the Mexican Caribbean, it is best to take some precautions.
There are some cases of fraudulent taxis at the Cancun airport that do not meet official regulations.
These taxis, known as pirate taxis, are not part of official unions and do not have the same safety and quality assurances as official ones.
While traveling, it is best to take licensed taxis or Uber.
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