Taxi blockade at airport

[noj3333]

Post your top three taxi trips, and I'll do a step-by-step walk through calculating the taxi fare. Easier than clearing a mask, but it can be a little intimidating the first time.

I'll take you up on the offer...

Airport GOING TO Calle 2 Norte/ 5 Ave. Norte (Hotel Plaza Cozumel)

Calle 2 Norte/ 5 Ave. Norte (Hotel Plaza Cozumel) GOING TO The MAGA Supermarket

I assume the return trip would be the same cost for both destinations?

 

[WetInPortland]

Significant edit about 40 minutes after this was posted to correct errors...

I'll take you up on the offer...

Airport GOING TO Calle 2 Norte/ 5 Ave. Norte (Hotel Plaza Cozumel)

Calle 2 Norte/ 5 Ave. Norte (Hotel Plaza Cozumel) GOING TO The MAGA Supermarket

I assume the return trip would be the same cost for both destinations?

Data based on the September 2016 tariffs, shown on @el-graduado 's page, Taxi rates. A slightly easier to read version of the first two charts is available at https://www.facebook.com/download/preview/1918069515090179. The calculations below assume a maximum of four passengers.

Airport GOING TO Calle 2 Norte/ 5 Ave. Norte (Hotel Plaza Cozumel) - this is all on Chart 1. Since there is no official taxi stand at the airport and you're hailing a cab from the street, all that we need is the zone-to-zone fare. You'll catch the cab at the southwest corner of Avenida 8 de Octubre (65th) and Avenida Antonio Gonzales Fernandez (Airport Boulevard). On the chart we see that is the very corner of Zona 1. Calle 2 Norte & 5 Ave is also Zona 1. You can either look at the grid to find the Zona 1 to Zona 1 fare, or take note of the first comment on the right side, "Servicio en la misma zona". $26 pesos - done! (I'd previously stated a trip from the airport to Zona 1 was 31 pesos - I mis-read the map and thought the pickup was in Zona 3.) If the taxista is assisting with luggage, a tip is appropriate.

Calle 2 Norte/ 5 Ave. Norte (Hotel Plaza Cozumel) GOING TO The MEGA Supermarket - this would seem to be Zona 1 to Zona 1, but on Chart 2 at the top we see, "De los hoteles del pueblo al centro" - $48 pesos.

Return trips - Mega is north of Avenida Andres Quintana Roo (11th), the southern end of Zona 1. So from Mega to the hotel is Zona 1 to Zona 1 (Chart 1), but we need to add $8 pesos, for the official taxi stand ("sitios"). This is shown on the right side as, "Del Muelle Fiscal y Supermercados" - total $34 pesos.

From the hotel to the airport, on Chart 3 we see, "De los hoteles del centro al aeropuerto" - $102 pesos.

I had originally calculated everything off Chart 1, thinking that was all that applied to in town trips. It wasn't until I saw @goproek 's follow-up post that I did a little more research and found the hotel and "to airport" surcharges. (I don't normally deal with those.) Apologies to anyone who saw the incorrect information!

Fares are typically rounded up to the nearest $5 pesos.

 

[gopbroek]

I'll take you up on the offer...

Airport GOING TO Calle 2 Norte/ 5 Ave. Norte (Hotel Plaza Cozumel)

Calle 2 Norte/ 5 Ave. Norte (Hotel Plaza Cozumel) GOING TO The MAGA Supermarket

I assume the return trip would be the same cost for both destinations?

I am going to take a stab at it and probably get it wrong.
Both points are within Zone 1 AKA 'El Centro' and per the 12/16 rate schedule (which even I think is a little dated due to the fuel prices over $4 USD a gal) the base rate would be $26 MXN. This would be the rate for a random cab flagged down on a street, add to this several upcharges.
This is where it gets confusing:
Directly from the hotel (the gringo tax), zone 1 to zone 1, the rate jumps to $75 MXN
At a taxi queue (across the street by the pier) + $8 for a total of $34 MXN
Returning
At a supermarket queue (in front of MEGA), again + $8 for a total of $34 MXN

A couple extra surcharges are:
Radio dispatch = + $8
Bar / Cantina = +12
Night (midnight to 6AM) = + $12

@WetInPortland types faster than I

 

[WetInPortland]

... per the 12/16 rate schedule (which even I think is a little dated due to the fuel prices over $4 USD a gal

I 100% agree that the taxistas got the shaft when the government deregulated gasoline prices a few months after the current tariff was published. While I now realize that I was paying the gringo tax years ago, I think this was a tipping point that really made things a lot worse. But while there is an application before the Mobility Institute for a new tariff, that's not been approved, and the 2016 tariff is still current.

Directly from the hotel (the gringo tax), zone 1 to zone 1, the rate jumps to $75 MXN

Come again? I make mistakes, but I'm not seeing where you got the $75 MXN? I see I made some errors and will be editing my post ....

 

[morecowbells]

I am tired of hearing that argument that local taxi drivers are portrayed as the victim, trying to provide for themselves and feed their families, therefore excusing their tactics. I have no problem with a price increase to allow a decent standard of living. I do have a problem with dishonest and inflated price discrimination. The concept of a local fare versus a gringo fare is highly offensive to me. If I were to run a business and felt that a client looked different, talked different and was not from my neck of the woods; thus charging an entirely different price, it would cause an(justified) outrage. I had an incident where the taxi driver tried to charge me for a zone further than actual destination. I have since then screen shot the fare chart and refuse to negotiate. I always tip, and if they run a/c, I tip more. Last time we had a wonderful taxi driver. We saved his contact info and use him. No haggling, no shady practices.

 

[gopbroek]

I 100% agree that the taxistas got the shaft when the government deregulated gasoline prices a few months after the current tariff was published. While I now realize that I was paying the gringo tax years ago, I think this was a tipping point that really made things a lot worse. But while there is an application before the Mobility Institute for a new tariff, that's not been approved, and the 2016 tariff is still current.



Come again? I make mistakes, but I'm not seeing where you got the $75 MXN? I see I made some errors and will be editing my post ....

I pulled the $75 figure off this portion of the rate card which I readily admit I may be miss-reading

 

[WetInPortland]

I pulled the $75 figure off this portion of the rate card which I readily admit I may be miss-reading
View attachment 516860

OK, that chart is for going from one of the out of town hotel zones (north or south of town) to another, or traveling within one of the out of town hotel zones. There is a bit of a tourist tax built in here, as it's $75 pesos within the same hotel zone, but only $26 pesos within the same zone in town Some of that may be to allow for dispatching a taxi from in town, if necessary (speculation on my part). Living in town, I've never needed the hotel-to-hotel chart.

I believe my edited post is correct, but please keep poking at it if anyone sees errors or something just doesn't look right.

 

[WetInPortland]

Tacking this on here, as it's the most recent taxi thread ...

I flew into Cancun T2 today (the domestic terminal) and as I waited to purchase my ADO bus ticket, I noticed that the two adjacent taxi stands listed the following currency exchange rates:

15:1 USD
15:1 Euro
9:1 CAD

Current, mid-market rates today from XE.com are:

19.1:1 USD
21.5:1 EUR
14.2:1 CAD

And you know what? I'm fine with this. It's a hassle for the taxistas to deal with foreign currency. As long as it's posted and consistent, so people can make an informed decision, I find it hard to argue with whatever exchange rates they want to charge..

 

[scubafanatic]

15:1 vs 19:1 is like a 25-30% mark up! They're currency trader/speculators, not taxi drivers!

 

[DandyDon]

15:1 vs 19:1 is like a 25-30% mark up! They're currency trader/speculators, not taxi drivers!

I don't think that's bad, only 20%. Last year I had one try to quote 10:1. I agree that as long as it's posted and consistent at 15:1, that's fair.