Uber Driver Shot In Cancun, Protests Over Taxi Violence Follow

Last Updated 9 months ago

Several steps have been taken by officials in Cancun to ease the tension between taxi and Uber drivers.   

Unfortunately, the conflict recently came to a boiling point when an Uber driver was allegedly shot by a taxi driver.   

Protests erupted in Cancun following the shooting of the Uber driver, who was attacked while picking up passengers at a local hotel.   

Here’s what you need to know about this ongoing conflict:   

Uber’s Place In Cancun 

Uber has been trying to legally get into the transportation market for years, and in January 2023 a judge ruled that Uber is, in fact, operating legally.   

The issue was, and to some extent still is, that Uber operates as a private business, shielding the company from having to pay concession fees that taxi drivers do have to pay.   

Even though Uber drivers can operate in Cancun, they are still not allowed to offer service to or from the airport, although they supposedly will be able to in the future.  

The Fairness Factor 

Taxi drivers have been in an uproar over what they deem unfair rules that result in unfair competition.   

They feel that since Uber drivers don’t have to pay the same fees they can charge less for rides.   

This results in Uber drivers attracting more business than taxi drivers.   

Pushback From Taxi Drivers 

In protest of the conflicting rules, taxi drivers have been involved in a lot of pushback.   

They have protested several times against Uber being given legal status.   

Taxi drivers have blocked access to the airport, forcing tourists to walk, they’ve made passengers get out of Uber vehicles, they’ve attacked Uber vehicles with stones, and have even been violent towards Uber drivers on multiple occasions.   

Fortunately, throughout all of this, no tourists have been seriously injured, but the behavior of taxi drivers has, without a doubt, left a bad image in the eyes of visitors.   

The Battle For Business 

All of these actions are an effort on the part of the taxi drivers to keep Uber from getting any of the business that they feel they have more of a right to.   

They feel that Uber’s entry into the market directly affects how they make a living.   

For this reason, they have resorted to blocking Ubers from picking up at hotels and telling tourists that Uber is illegal.  

The Most Recent Incident Among Many 

This most recent incident is the worst attack against an Uber driver yet.   

Reportedly, an Uber driver was picking up passengers at an unknown hotel and was shot and killed.   

Although the case is still under investigation, Uber drivers are convinced that a taxi driver committed the crime. 

The Following Protest 

As a result of this most recent incident, Uber drivers launched a protest outside of government offices, demanding that the violence stop.   

According to Uber drivers, threats from taxi drivers have increased recently, leading up to this violent incident.   

The protests lasted two days, with Uber drivers ultimately being given a way to communicate directly with the government when future incidents occur.  

What Are Tourists To Do? 

With no immediate solution to the ongoing battle between taxi and Uber drivers being proposed so far, tourists must be wondering what to do about transportation while visiting Cancun.   

Many don’t want to support taxi drivers but are afraid to take an Uber for fear of reprisal.   

Despite the violence between them, though, tourists are generally safe when using either option.   

There’s also the private transportation option, which may be pricey but might be the safest way to get around Cancun right now.   

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