Local News

[BRT]

I wouldn't call it doubled... it was 16 pesos a liter in 2016. It is what, 23 pesos a liter now? The rates aren't indexed to the gas prices.

But the taxi drivers costs are. And the costs of everything from tortillas to clothes.

 

[El Graduado]

But the taxi drivers costs are. And the costs of everything from tortillas to clothes.

The taxi rates are not indexed to anything. The unions have to negotiate increases with the state, it is not automatically raised based on an index. It is all about negotiation and political horse-trading.

Regarding taxis...

I once had a person email me saying “Friends rented a car several years ago on the south side of Fernandez at one of the car rental agencies there and were charging a Federal tax as if they were on airport property.”

There were several problems with this story. There is no federal sales tax, other than the standard 16% IVA, on items or services sold in a federal zone. Just think, if there was a federal tax applied to purchases made in federal zones, that would mean all the beach clubs, ferries, stores on the ferry pier, and cruise ship pier gift stores would have to charge it too. They don’t, because there isn’t one. There is, however, an 8% airport facility surcharge on all airport car rentals, just like there is a similar airport facility charge applied to airport car rentals made in the US.

The 8% airport facility surcharge on all airport car rentals is also applied to all rentals reserved over the internet with the airport listed as the pick-up location in the reservation. If you walk up to the counter IN PERSON in any of the rental agencies on the south side of the airport avenue and rent a car WITHOUT A RESERVATION DESIGNATING THE AIRPORT AS THE PICK-UP LOCATION, they will not charge this airport facility fee. They only charge it if the car is reserved over the internet with the airport as the pick-up location. The airport facility fee is the default action of the international online car reservation system when you designate the airport as your pick-up location.

If you ask them, the rental agencies on the south side of the airport boulevard will tell you that they are in the Federal Zone. They say they have been instructed by their management to say that as a way to explain why taxis can't pick you up at their location. When presented with the fact that they actually are south of the airport federal zone, they will admit that “legally, you are correct; we aren’t in the airport federal zone. But ‘traditionally,’ we are.” It turns out that there was a pact made long ago between the union that has one of the two pick-up concessions at the airport and the union that the city taxis belong to. They decided to avoid conflict, they would include the area “near the airport” in the territory the city taxi union would refrain from picking up passengers, and that area included the rental agencies on the south side of the airport boulevard. The airport taxi union would, in turn, refrain from picking up passengers outside of this agreed-upon “airport and near airport” exclusion zone.

The Federal Zone in which the Cozumel International airport is situated is designated ZF1 (Zona Federal 1) as outlined in the “Ordenamiento Territorial del Municipio de Cozumel.” The southern boundary of this federal zone goes from the airport grounds south to the chain-link fence north of the northern curb of Avenida Antonio González Fernández (often called airport boulevard, in English). The avenue itself is outside of the airport federal zone, as are the predios (lots) on the southern side of the avenue according to the Catastro (land office) of Cozumel. In the attached map, note that the esplanade is colored tan because it is included in the city's side, not the (grey) airport federal zone's side. The two-way avenues are shown in orange, but that color does not have anything to do with the street being inside or outside of the airport federal zone, it just indicates the two-way nature of the street.

 

[BRT]

The taxi rates are not indexed to anything. The unions have to negotiate increases with the state, it is not automatically raised based on an index. It is all about negotiation and political horse-trading.

Regarding taxis...

I once had a person email me saying “Friends rented a car several years ago on the south side of Fernandez at one of the car rental agencies there and were charging a Federal tax as if they were on airport property.”

There were several problems with this story. There is no federal sales tax, other than the standard 16% IVA, on items or services sold in a federal zone. Just think, if there was a federal tax applied to purchases made in federal zones, that would mean all the beach clubs, ferries, stores on the ferry pier, and cruise ship pier gift stores would have to charge it too. They don’t, because there isn’t one. There is, however, an 8% airport facility surcharge on all airport car rentals, just like there is a similar airport facility charge applied to airport car rentals made in the US.

The 8% airport facility surcharge on all airport car rentals is also applied to all rentals reserved over the internet with the airport listed as the pick-up location in the reservation. If you walk up to the counter IN PERSON in any of the rental agencies on the south side of the airport avenue and rent a car WITHOUT A RESERVATION DESIGNATING THE AIRPORT AS THE PICK-UP LOCATION, they will not charge this airport facility fee. They only charge it if the car is reserved over the internet with the airport as the pick-up location. The airport facility fee is the default action of the international online car reservation system when you designate the airport as your pick-up location.

If you ask them, the rental agencies on the south side of the airport boulevard will tell you that they are in the Federal Zone. They say they have been instructed by their management to say that as a way to explain why taxis can't pick you up at their location. When presented with the fact that they actually are south of the airport federal zone, they will admit that “legally, you are correct; we aren’t in the airport federal zone. But ‘traditionally,’ we are.” It turns out that there was a pact made long ago between the union that has one of the two pick-up concessions at the airport and the union that the city taxis belong to. They decided to avoid conflict, they would include the area “near the airport” in the territory the city taxi union would refrain from picking up passengers, and that area included the rental agencies on the south side of the airport boulevard. The airport taxi union would, in turn, refrain from picking up passengers outside of this agreed-upon “airport and near airport” exclusion zone.

The Federal Zone in which the Cozumel International airport is situated is designated ZF1 (Zona Federal 1) as outlined in the “Ordenamiento Territorial del Municipio de Cozumel.” The southern boundary of this federal zone goes from the airport grounds south to the chain-link fence north of the northern curb of Avenida Antonio González Fernández (often called airport boulevard, in English). The avenue itself is outside of the airport federal zone, as are the predios (lots) on the southern side of the avenue according to the Catastro (land office) of Cozumel. In the attached map, note that the esplanade is colored tan because it is included in the city's side, not the (grey) airport federal zone's side. The two-way avenues are shown in orange, but that color does not have anything to do with the street being inside or outside of the airport federal zone, it just indicates the two-way nature of the street.

I understand and agree. The taxi rates are negotiated not indexed. But a taxi driver in 2016 was doing a lot better than a taxi driver today. I always rented a car, either in Cozumel or on the mainland. Now I have a car that I use when I am in Mexico. But I never begrudged the taxi drivers their rates, with one exception. The cost for a taxi always seemed reasonable and I would just use them, IF there were always one available when I needed it. The exception was 20 years ago. I wanted to visit Holbox from Puerto Morelos. The taxi driver would take us one way for $65. I tried to negotiate the return rate, but that was $65 too. Instead I rented a car for the $65 and have been doing that ever since.

 

[ibj40]

Seven ships with more than 18,000 dock Cozumel in same day - Riviera Maya News

Cozumel, Q.R. -- On December 24, Cozumel hosted more than 18,000 cruise ship passengers on the seven vessels that docked the island.

riviera-maya-news.com

 

[JFS]

I understand and agree. The taxi rates are negotiated not indexed. But a taxi driver in 2016 was doing a lot better than a taxi driver today. I always rented a car, either in Cozumel or on the mainland. Now I have a car that I use when I am in Mexico. But I never begrudged the taxi drivers their rates, with one exception. The cost for a taxi always seemed reasonable and I would just use them, IF there were always one available when I needed it. The exception was 20 years ago. I wanted to visit Holbox from Puerto Morelos. The taxi driver would take us one way for $65. I tried to negotiate the return rate, but that was $65 too. Instead I rented a car for the $65 and have been doing that ever since.

Probably another 100 more taxis since 2016 too.....they gotta be near 900 now. Lots of people on the island are waiting for Uber to arrive due to the lack of service from taxis for the general population. A few days ago, a couple taxis refused to drive some of our customers to the marina from downtown. They were waiting for a better pay to one of the southern beach clubs....

 

[gopbroek]

Probably another 100 more taxis since 2016 too.....they gotta be near 900 now. Lots of people on the island are waiting for Uber to arrive due to the lack of service from taxis for the general population. A few days ago, a couple taxis refused to drive some of our customers to the marina from downtown. They were waiting for a better pay to one of the southern beach clubs....

When / If Uber makes another try I expect the the local Union to run them off the road, beat the driver and destroy the car, as the Municipal Police to look on to to prevent any interference.

 

[brsnow]

When / If Uber makes another try I expect the the local Union to run them off the road, beat the driver and destroy the car, as the Municipal Police to look on to to prevent any interference.

Uber. could reach out to the cartel.

 

[gopbroek]

Uber. could reach out to the cartel.

The Cartels are already aligned with the local power structure, throughout Mexico.

 

[lionfish-eater]

Y'all got the talk

Let's see if you have the cojones to not have to walk

 

[JFS]

When / If Uber makes another try I expect the the local Union to run them off the road, beat the driver and destroy the car, as the Municipal Police to look on to to prevent any interference.

There was a big protest on Dec 15 by the taxis here as well as on mainland because the govt will be passing and allowing uber to operate. The govt said any taxi driver who does violence will lose licence to operate. Soon uber will be here in the state.