Taxi Fare Increase is now official :(

[cvchief]

Christi is right that there is one official rate. I have never seen it..... Oh occasionally you see pictures of the tourist boards with the official rates from the cruise piers and such but never the real deal that would let you figure out what the fare is from the zones.

However, some driver try to charge 2 rates (or 3 or 4....). One for people who look like they live there and one for those who look like they don't and don't know any better. I know I have overpaid from what those more experienced pay. It isn't an official tourist rate, but rather a 'you don't know better rate.' I had a guy once try to charge us 300 peso for two points in El Centro. The missus straightened him out in Spanish. We still paid more than I was told the 'official' rate was, but it was alot closer. The few times we use a cab, I just try to figure out what the rate might be and settle for anything close. I guess, to some degree, it is just business. A member of our group time didn't listen and went to a touristy shop and paid like ten time more than he should have for a blanket. It happens.

 

[Mike]

This is what I'm referring to:

my truck is getting a tune up so i have been taking a taxi to and from aldora pier for the past few days to go diving. i have been paying 25 pesos each way. today i handed the money to the driver and he tried to tell me that all foreigners have to pay more now...new rates. he wanted 40 pesos. same thing happened on the way home. i said that i lived here and that i have an fm2 and the ferry cards, etc. they both said it didn't matter. while it may not be fair, i understand the policy of charging more to those who aren't local, eg tourists, but i cannot accept that because i am not mexican, i am subject to a different rate schedule.

i wonder if the rule simply pertains to non-locals and that it was explained wrong to the drivers. in theory if they are discriminating against all non-mexicans, they should be asking for proof of citizenship from all passengers, ie the credential card or whatever it is called.

so, my question is...what can be done about this situation?

On the way back from the waterfront, you prolly already know you have to get off Melgar to get the local price on a cab ride back into the hood.

I think one of the problems is you keep mentioning getting a taxi off of Melgar. I live right off Melgar and it I get into (or out) of a taxi on Melgar, unless I negotiate the rate before I get in, they will try to charge me the rate on the sheet. If you catch a cab off of Melgar (e.g., on 30th, 65th, etc. ) or pick one up by the taxi stand next to Chedraui the rate will be 25 pesos. (unless its to points further south)

Yesterday morning, I had the rather unpleasant experience of a taxi driver trying to take advantage of the situation. I look like a typical gringa (understatement) so... it is 5:40am and I am walking through the parking lot of Chedraui hoping I might be able to get a taxi to catch the 6am ferry. I am carrying a very large scuba backpack, a second large shoulder bag and another shoulder bag and struggling carrying all of this. (All of this in Spanish)I ask him how much to the ferry. (I usually pay 25-30 pesos from Chedraui) He told me 80 pesos! I told him that I was localand live a block away and that the taxis do not charge that much and he was parked in the Chedraui parking lot. He shrugged and said no and said that rate did not start until 7am. I told him I would pay him 50 pesos and he still refused. I then asked him to please call another taxi for me and he refused. I left and continued to walk down melgar until I was able to flag another taxi and he took me for 40 pesos. Sooo, TAXI #811 - you have no manners, I am sure your mother would be embarrassed by your refusal to help a woman struggling with heavy bags, AND because you were greedy, you blew the chance to earn a quick 50 pesos. Psssffffft! A big giant raspberry to you.

Maybe I'm mistaking what is being said, I took it that these were locals telling taxi drivers that they are locals and they are supposed to get the local rate, when in reality maybe this is locals telling taxi drivers they are locals and not tourists, so stop trying to rip them off by thinking they don't know any better and stop trying to screw them like they do the tourists all the time?

 

[halocline]

Contrary to popular belief among visitors, there are no "local" taxi fares - the fares are the same for everyone. That is why the collectivos exist for lower priced public transportation options. The Collectivos ARE the local fares - but taxi fares are the same.

But there's no collectivo or any bus route down the main road from town center to say, the cruise ship pier, La Ceba, beach clubs, anywhere like that. Sure, I realize that the collectivos primarily serve locals getting from the colonias to the centro, but there is ZERO reason why a bus could not go down the main highway, except for the fact that the taxi drivers must have enough clout to prevent it.

Last time I was there, I was able to stay right next door to Casa Del Mar, about 3 miles from the center of town, and not take a single taxi all week. I rent a bicycle (much safer than a scooter IMO, and some exercise) and a lot of walking. Partly because I'm cheap, partly because I'm making a statement, partly because I enjoy exercising every day, and to me diving is not really exercise.

It is not in the best long term interest of the island to give taxi drivers this much influence on the way transportation needs are met.

 

[sddiver]

Reduce your foot print.

One thing I've managed to pull out of the long winded climate change debate, that is of use in other parts of life, is the reduce your foot print concept. It can apply to lots of things in life other than carbon. Living in California it also applies to water, that we're running out of, taxes - the state & local budgets have been hijacked by the employee unions and we get few if any gov't services, so why not minimize your contribution. It now also applies to Taxis in Cozumel. Get rental cars for entire stays rather than 1-2 days. If you get a car through a package deal and manage the insurance / damage waivers, the cost can be minimized. If you do use a cab, having a few drinks?, find others at your hotel to share cabs into town and back if you can. Learn how the cab fares are calculated, the zones in the local areas, ect. It's not that hard and say gracias and pay the cab drivers what the fare is. Don't even ask, I just hand them the pesos in exact change. They figure out pretty quickly I'm not a mark to try to overcharge.
I do feel sorry for the many great cab drives I've had over the years, some are great ambassadors for the island.

I'm curious to see the new rate charts. The cruisers who pay even more than the hotel zones rates are going to get screwed even worse.

Rich

 

[Ron Lee]

Ok Rich, we need to see the official rate chart and associated map to hand them the right amount. Where do we get that info?

 

[sddiver]

Ok Rich, we need to see the official rate chart and associated map to hand them the right amount. Where do we get that info?

Each cab driver is supposed to carry it in the cab, some do. They are also at the taxi headquarters on Calle 1 or 3, don't remember which. They were posted on the web, but I haven't seen one in a long time. I had one, but haven't used in the last couple of trips as I've been renting cars.

In nutshell, there's 4-5 "zones" that divide up the city center and colonies. As I remember the fares are fixed within any zone and between each zone. The highest zone to zone charge was somewhere around 25 maybe 30 pesos. They are also up charges if you use a sitio I think they call them ( Places along Melgar where they line up to pick up tourists ) or from the main ferry pier in town. I also believe there is an up charge if you call for a cab as opposed to waving one down on the street. If some locals know, please correct me.

I'm hoping with the increased fares pending that the charts will become more accessible. I'm not sure if someone just didn't want to spend the money to print these up anymore, or if they maybe didn't want this info to easy to find. They only info on the Taxi operators website is the fares to and from Cruise ship piers.

Hopefully someone will post one soon.

Rich

 

[mediumone]

Ok Rich, we need to see the official rate chart and associated map to hand them the right amount. Where do we get that info?

Yes, please.

When they raised the rates in Playa a year and a half ago or so, it took a whole bunch of people trying for several months to finally get a hold of the new rate sheet. The Playa drivers kept them real close to the vest.

 

[mstevens]

ISIS is 35 bucks a day.

Isis has cars at several rates, including 35. That's not their lowest rate, though. Their least-expensive car is USD$30 per day.

 

[1erCRU]

The tarifas site of the taxi union “Adolfo Lopez Mateos”, tarifas Doubtful it has been updated lately.

I've also found on my computer an old zone map don't ask me why it hasn't been deleted it's at least 10 years old:

 

[PARADISE HUNTER]

Are these rates somewhat correct?

Cozumel Transportation