Cancun Taxis Block Uber To Force Tourists To Get Out Of Vehicle

Last Updated 8 months ago

Lately there seems to be no end to the reports of Cancun taxi drivers causing a scene, but typically their focus is Uber drivers, and tourists are only periodically affected.

In the newest story in the taxi-Uber saga, though, tourists were affected, and they seemed to have no problem speaking out to the taxi driver.

While this incident did not involve any violence, Cancun taxis did block an Uber in order to force tourists to get out of the vehicle.

Tourist Walking Behind a Taxi Van in Downtown Cancun, Mexico

The Most Recent Taxi Driver Incident

This most recent incident, which took place on Thursday, September 7, involved a taxi driver who blocked an Uber from being able to move.

The taxi driver was from the Andres Quintana Roo Taxi Drivers Union.

The Uber had two tourists on board, who of course were not pleased about the situation, as the taxi driver was trying to force them out of the vehicle.

A las afueras del hotel City Express Aeropuerto, taxistas de #Cancún obligan a turistas a descender de un Uber, pese a que el afectado les dice que no quiere su servicio. @VivoEnCancun @CancunSOS pic.twitter.com/9P8vLyJyQB
— Quinta Fuerza (@QuintaFuerzaMX) September 8, 2023

The Reaction From The Affected Tourists

The tourists who were in the Uber vehicle responded to the incident by pleading with the taxi driver to let them pass.

One passenger commented to the taxi driver, saying “I’m a tourist, and I decide who to pay what I want,” and “You’re hurting me,” referring to the taxi driver’s blocking them from being able to leave.

One of the Tourists further commented, “The world is going to find out about this.”

Taxis Lined Up in Cancun, Mexico in the Hotel Zone

The Aggressive Taxi Driver

Videos and reports of the incident show an aggressive taxi driver who could not be swayed by the pleas of the tourists.

His response was one of complete disregard for how the tourists felt, responding to one of the passengers, “I don’t care if I’m hurting you,” in response to their pleas to let them choose their own transportation.

He even used a derogatory term to insult the passenger.

Cancun Taxi Driver Arguing in the Street

How The Incident Ended

In the end, it seems the taxi driver won the battle and the passengers were forced to get out of the Uber vehicle.

They were then left with only the option to get into one of the taxis surrounding the Uber.

The Uber driver was trying to diffuse the situation to keep it from escalating by having the passengers get out of the vehicle.

Cancun Taxi driving down the street with a man behind the vehicle.

The Story Behind The Story

The animosity of taxi drivers towards Uber drivers stems from the fact that Uber was deemed legal in Cancun.

The difference between the two different transportation providers is that Uber drivers do not have to pay for the same licenses as taxi drivers do.

Taxi drivers, despite their penchant for historically overcharging passengers, feel that this has created unfair competition and have been battling with Uber drivers because of that since.

Woman stepping out of a vehicle, uber driver waiting for her to exit vehicle completely

Other Recent Taxi Driver Incidents In Cancun

There have been multiple incidents involving Cancun taxi drivers that have occurred since January, including another incident in which tourists were forced out of an Uber vehicle in January.

Another incident resulted in tourists having to get out and walk to the airport when taxis blocked access.

And most recently, a former Twitter executive was onboard an Uber vehicle when it was attacked by taxi drivers.

@soyguselcancunence Hasta cuando #imoveqroo #cancunmexico #fyp #parati #viral #uber #turistas ♬ sonido original – Soy Gus

The Problem From A Tourism Perspective

Shortly after the taxi driver’s blockade of airport access, the U.S. State Department issued a warning about traveling to Cancun.

So, this has been a problem for the image of Cancun despite the fact that there have been very few violent incidents involving taxi drivers and tourists.

Fortunately, Cancun officials are starting to sanction taxi drivers, so hopefully, we’ll see these incidents stop in the near future.

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