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Despite the fact that a judge recently ruled that Uber is operating legally in Cancun, it appears that animosity from taxi drivers towards Uber drivers still exists. This was made evident when Cancun taxi drivers recently chased down and stopped an Uber with tourists on board. The incident caused quite a scare for the family of Russian tourists, who were very clearly unaware of what was going on.
Leading Up To The Incident
It was this past Thursday evening when an Uber driver received an alert that a family needed to be picked up from the Plaza Las Américas in the downtown area of Cancun. The family needed to be taken to the Cancun Hotel Zone, but immediately upon leaving the popular shopping center, taxi drivers from the Andrés Quintana Roo Taxi Union began following the vehicle. The Uber driver attempted to avoid them by taking Kukulcan Blvd. and getting onto the El Ceviche roundabout, but they were intercepted by three additional drivers.
@soyguselcancunence Hasta cuando #imoveqroo #cancunmexico #fyp #parati #viral #uber #turistas ♬ sonido original – Soy Gus
The Incident
Once stopped, the taxi drivers forced the family of four to get out of the vehicle, telling them that the Uber vehicle was operating illegally. They attempted to explain to the terrified family why they were chasing the Uber vehicle and forcing them out of it, but that did not seem to alleviate the family’s stress. During this time, the driver of the Uber vehicle dialed 911 to request assistance from law enforcement officers.
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Caught On Camera
Videos of the incident and the cries of the terrified family surfaced on social media very shortly after the situation began. In one of the videos, you can see the family being scared into getting out of the Uber vehicle on the El Ceviche roundabout near Kukulcan Blvd. In the video, the police can also be seen arriving on the scene and trying to diffuse the situation.
No Resolution
In the end, nobody was arrested for the incident, but rather just given a warning that they are not allowed to block a vehicle from moving. The family was left on the side of the street to figure out what to do because the Uber driver feared what the taxi drivers would do if he continued with the family to their destination. Fortunately, a citizen witnessed the incident and offered the family a ride to their hotel.
Recent Events Involving Tourists
It was only a little over a week ago that another similar incident involving the attack of an Uber driver with tourists on board took place. This was right before a judge decided that Uber operating the way that it does, without a state concession, is, in fact, legal. During this other recent incident, taxi drivers were accused of throwing stones at the Uber vehicle, scaring the passengers inside when the passenger side window was struck.
The Law
Up until the recent ruling, it had not been clear as to whether Uber was operating legally without a state concession. Taxis are considered a form of public transportation, so drivers are required to have certain licenses. Uber argued that because the company is private, it should only need a business license to operate in the city, and that is what the judge recently ruled.
What This Means For The Future
Despite that ruling, though, hotels, businesses, and airports can still deny Uber drivers access to pick up on those properties. Furthermore, the ruling did nothing to alleviate the anger of taxi drivers, so the battle is likely going to continue for the foreseeable future. Until the situation is resolved, it is important to be careful about how you get around during your Cancun vacation, so private transportation might be a better option.
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Jason
Sunday 22nd of January 2023
I have commented about this last week, and yet another story on the same thing. When will the government and police put an end to these assaults! That is, what this is. Not only to the tourists, but to the driver.
Taxi rates in this region are 2 to 3 times what is normal, now the taxi drivers are organizing physical and mental attacks on these other drivers and the tourists. Lynch mob is not a good idea, this will only hurt the whole tourist industry.
No charges at all! So the only outcome is, this family and who ever they talk to will never come to this region again. Everyone loses
Timoteo
Monday 23rd of January 2023
@Jason, Thanks for pointing all of that out. I'm in the CDMX, and this communist president has been trying to pressure the city to run Uber out of town. He's already taken the side of those sleazy, scumbag lowlife leeches - the taxistas in federal areas, like the airport. These taxidrivers need to be in prison.Taxi drivers in Mexico are the scum of the earth... subhuman... criminals... PUT THEM IN PRISON FOR LIFE, CANCUN!!!
Antonio
Sunday 22nd of January 2023
@Jason, the funny thing is that the same drivers (taxi)refuse to pick up people or raise their rates when they pick up tourists. Many times have I flagged a taxi only to have them answer with "they are not going that way" or wanting to charge me double the rate to where I am going.