Taxi Strike?

[Jayfarmlaw]

just saw on C4U that the taxi drivers are striking due to the passage of a law that may pave the way for Uber or other ride sharing services. Anyone have any better information? I would hate to be the first Uber driver in Cozumel...that could get ugly.

Apparently, it was on the mainland as well. It may have just been a protest where they blocked roads for several hours as opposed to a strike where they refuse to work for several days.

Jay

 

[driftwood]

First, ride sharing competition couldn't happen to a more deserving group of people. Second, given the rate of kidnappings down south, it might be a hard sell initially. Once all the kinks gets worked out and the dust settles, it will be a plus for all concerned.

 

[Streydog]

First, ride sharing competition couldn't happen to a more deserving group of people. Second, given the rate of kidnappings down south, it might be a hard sell initially. Once all the kinks gets worked out and the dust settles, it will be a plus for all concerned.

Why do you see that as a plus for all concerned? When I go to Cozumel I stay in town and don't have a need to use taxis much but when I have I have had good experiences and feel they are a good value. I think Cozumel is unique due to the number of cruise ships that can arrive in one day and how small the island is. Can't wait to see that lime green Carola with gold wheels and a huge spoiler on back show up to take me to Mega.

 

[mediumone]

just saw on C4U that the taxi drivers are striking due to the passage of a law that may pave the way for Uber or other ride sharing services. Anyone have any better information? I would hate to be the first Uber driver in Cozumel...that could get ugly.

Apparently, it was on the mainland as well. It may have just been a protest where they blocked roads for several hours as opposed to a strike where they refuse to work for several days.

Jay

You can't be serious.

The taxi drivers just block roads or just refuse to work?

Think bricks, clubs, fire ---- for starters.

Uber, et al, will not happen on the island, or anywhere along the RM.

 

[driftwood]

Why do you see that as a plus for all concerned? When I go to Cozumel I stay in town and don't have a need to use taxis much but when I have I have had good experiences and feel they are a good value. I think Cozumel is unique due to the number of cruise ships that can arrive in one day and how small the island is. Can't wait to see that lime green Carola with gold wheels and a huge spoiler on back show up to take me to Mega.

Just the capitalist in me that sees monopolies as a bad thing. If the locals on Coz had a bit of sense, there would be a shuttle service running from the cruise docks to the square. That will never happen so long as the taxis maintain their privileged status. Any thing that diminishes that concentration of power is a good thing.

 

[Jayfarmlaw]

You can't be serious.

The taxi drivers just block roads or just refuse to work?

Think bricks, clubs, fire ---- for starters.

Uber, et al, will not happen on the island, or anywhere along the RM.

Serious? Just posting what I saw and backed up by pics. I'm a firm believer in "don't believe everything you see on the internet" so was looking for some better information from our local sources here.

My guess is it was more of a short protest rather than an American style strike that would last for days or weeks.

I seem to remember a story about some motorized tricycle type vehicles that would have competed for the taxi business. Something like three came to the island and the next morning they were all three submerged in the sea.

I can't say I care one way or another. We make it to Coz 2-3 times a year and while I'm sure I have paid the gringo tax on some cab rides, it's never been enough to bitch about. When I'm in my happy place, $2 is not going to raise my blood pressure.

Safe travels all,
Jay

 

[Christi]

It was a protest (not a strike) over the law that passed allowing other transportation services such as UBER into Q.Roo.

Locals have been begging for this for YEARS! The taxis are worse to locals than they are to tourists. Try living here and getting a taxi when you need one. Try being an employee of one of the southern hotels and you miss the employee bus because you had a sick child that morning that took some extra time to manage. Then you have to pay a taxi $200+ pesos to get to work and you might not even make that in a day.

For the tourist, what about when you need to catch the 6am ferry so you can catch your flight to Cancun. Do you know how difficult it is to get a taxi at 5:30am?

There are of course some very honest taxi drivers who don’t meet this following description, but they are getting fewer and farther between.

If the taxis would get out of their own way and put their EGOs aside they would realize they have brought this on themselves. They do nothing to motivate people to use a taxi. People will rent cars before they step foot in a taxi here out of principle.

If they would pay attention to their market and remember who pays their wages they wouldnt have the reputation they have and they would not have the citizens begging for UBER, etc. This is greed nothing more. They want the whole pie without earning it.

If the taxis want to keep tourism because that’s where they think the money is, fine - clean up your act and let UBER in for the locals - you don’t want to service them anyway.

 

[kmarks]

Maybe the taxi drivers could all join Uber and enjoy losing money, too.

 

[kelemvor]

There is a reason that the taxi industry in Cozumel is often referred to as a mafia, somehow I don't think it's because they talk with a northern accent and eat Italian food... cozumel taxi mafia - Google Search

 

[amoses]

Getting anywhere, from the Cancun airport, is ridiculously expensive (unless you take the RDO) because the Taxi's have a monopoly. I think allowing some competition would be ideal!