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Since January, there has been a running conflict in Cancun with taxi drivers attacking Uber carriers, with the confrontations sometimes reaching extremely worrying levels of violence.
Although the issue has calmed down significantly over the past 4 weeks, there are several flashpoints in the city where travelers should avoid ordering a pickup from an Uber driver.
The following are areas of Cancun that travelers should avoid ordering an Uber from.
The Hotel Zone
Sadly, travelers need to be extremely careful about ordering an Uber from the hotel zone, although it doesn’t come as a great surprise that this area is seen as important by taxi drivers.
The hotel zone is the center of Cancun tourism. In fact, it’s the center of tourism for the whole country. The travelers staying here who decide to adventure through the city often use private hire vehicles such as taxis.
Alternative Transport
With Uber not being a safe option here and the service offered by taxis being tainted by their action of the past few months, travelers naturally are looking for alternatives.
It is worth remembering that public transport in Cancun is super cheap, as well as being a safe way to travel around the city. Furthermore, many resorts provide internal shuttle buses in the form of small vans; these are likely the best option for travelers when the timetable fits.
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Tulum Avenue
Exiting from the north end of the hotel zone, Tulum Avenue is the first major strip that travelers come to. Like the hotel zone, its popularity with tourists and close proximity to some great attractions means it has seen its fair share of the ‘Taxis v Uber’ conflict.
This is one of the best places in Cancun to purchase handcrafted souvenirs and enjoy the amazing Mexican cuisine on offer.
Furthermore, Tulum Avenue is the gateway to Parque de las Palapas. A culturally rich area of the city where live performances and delicious street food can be found.
Alternative Transport
Unfortunately, like the hotel zone, it’s difficult to get around the issues between Uber and the local taxi drivers.
While Tulum Avenue itself is very walkable, the hotels and resorts here aren’t the most popular with Americans, meaning travelers will likely need to find transport back to the hotel zone.
Again, public transport is the best option to get back to the hotel zone from here while avoiding taxis and Uber. Although, for travelers not staying in the hotel zone, a good fix is to simply walk a couple of blocks west away from Tulum Avenue, where it’s much safer to order an Uber pickup if needed.
Mercado 28
This huge market is one of the biggest attractions in Cancun, which, unfortunately, like the previous examples, has led to it being yet another flashpoint.
Situated around 8 blocks west of Tulum Avenue, it is well within reach for all travelers in Cancun.
For anyone intending to leave their resort and experience Cancun and the Mexican way of life, Mercado 28 (Market 28) is a must-see.
The almost endless stalls and things for sale, as well as the superb food, blends perfectly together to offer an authentic cultural insight into Mexico.
Alternative Transport
The options here are the same as in Tulum Avenue, although for those set on using Uber, Yaxchilán Avenue, just 4 blocks to the east of Mercado 28, is the best place to quietly request an Uber pickup.
Ultramar Ferry Port
On the north side of Cancun, travelers will find the ferry port of Ultramar. This is where the majority of travelers visiting or staying on Isla Mujeres will catch their transport to the island.
It is likely obvious at this point exactly why the ferry port has joined the above as a flashpoint for conflict between taxi and Uber drivers. The mammoth number of travelers passing through here each day provides a livelihood to 100s of drivers.
Alternative Transport
The majority of travelers arriving here will be coming direct from Cancun International Airport, where Uber can’t operate on the grounds for pickups yet. So, it’s unlikely for travelers to have issues on their inbound journey to the ferry port.
The biggest problems arise on pickup from the ferry port; an alternative would be to take public transport from here into the city and then arrange a pickup from a quieter area.
Alternatively, Cancun has many professional private-hire airport transfer agencies that can provide pickup from Ultramar ferry port without the threat of taxi drivers getting involved.
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