Taxi Fare Increase is now official :(

[DandyDon]

Are these rates somewhat correct?

Cozumel Transportation

No, out of date...

I remember years ago when Casa Del Mar Hotel was $4 to town, and Caribe Blu Hotel went by that name.

 

[PARADISE HUNTER]

I thought so.

What is the correct current fare for transportation within the downtown? Example: Barracuda to 30th

Thanks.

 

[Christi]

I cannot figure out the multi-quote feature!

---------- Post Merged at 02:07 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 01:59 PM ----------

This is what I'm referring to:

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?

The first one was written by a close friend of mine. She knew the taxi driver was giving her a line of BS so she was calling him out and basically telling him she was a local and knows better. So yes, it is locals telling taxi drivers they are local and they know better, so don't screw with me!

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.

Trying to change the way the taxi union works is futile! Saying that it is not in the islands best long term interest is wasted breath. Nothing has changed except increasing fares to keep up with inflation and increased fuel costs. I don't like it, but it's just like increasing airfares, increasing costs of living in general. So it's nothing different than it has always been.

As far as the collectivos, they are intended to be low cost local transportation around town, not to transport tourists back and forth. They cannot be low cost transportation to the hotel zones because of fuel cost and demand. They could not run continuously because they cannot guarantee how many tourists will be ready to go into town at any given hour. The hotels all have transport for the employees from town to the hotels and back. I am not advocating for the taxi union, just trying to share some logical perspective that people seem to lose when deciding how other cities/towns/states/countries run their infrastructure without really knowing how things actually work or reasons behind them.

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

This is correct information. Rates are determined by zones, and how many zones you cross. There are also up charges for after 8pm and before 7am, calling a cab vs hailing one, where you get in the cab (ie: getting a cab at Punta Langosta, the cruise ship piers or out of the hotel zone is an automatic surcharge of 5 pesos or something like that. I need to verify the amount. Currently, the rate is around $25 pesos within a zone, crossing into another zone goes up to $40, etc. They ARE supposed to have the fare sheets and zone sheets in the taxi, but not all carry them - conveniently. They are also confusing to someone who is NOT local - even to some locals who don't really know the island.

 

[DandyDon]

I cannot figure out the multi-quote feature!

It's tricky. :laughing: I always take it to Advanced before I try to type...

This is correct information. Rates are determined by zones, and how many zones you cross. There are also up charges for after 8pm and before 7am, calling a cab vs hailing one, where you get in the cab (ie: getting a cab at Punta Langosta, the cruise ship piers or out of the hotel zone is an automatic surcharge of 5 pesos or something like that. I need to verify the amount. Currently, the rate is around $25 pesos within a zone, crossing into another zone goes up to $40, etc. They ARE supposed to have the fare sheets and zone sheets in the taxi, but not all carry them - conveniently. They are also confusing to someone who is NOT local - even to some locals who don't really know the island.

They can also charge more for extra passengers and/or bags I think. They don't always, but they can be worse.

 

[mstevens]

Our experience with taxis is all over the place.

When we recently arrived by ferry, the driver charged 5 of us with luggage the posted rate from the ferry to the house, which of course he is supposed to do. Correct fare, decent service - I threw in a 10-peso tip.

On the return trip from the house to the ferry, a different driver asked for 25 pesos even though we crossed from Zona 4 to Zona 1. I gave him 50 since he'd helped with a number of bags (and gave us a discounted fare) and he argued with me that "it's too much". I had to beat him down before he accepted the USD$2 tip.

I've also had the experience of having a driver try to charge me double or triple the official rate or quote me a price in dollars using a 10:1 exchange rate even when I tell him all I have is pesos. Some have even claimed that since my house is on the street that's the boundary for the zone (on the "in-zone" side of the street), that means we have to pay an extra zone charge.

Overall, I've had significantly more good experiences than bad, but I do think some drivers do try to overcharge people they think won't know better.

When a driver knows I have a house there, or prior to that when it was clear we're frequent visitors, the whole dynamic changes. It then tends to become all about service, pleasant helpful attitude, etc. in hopes of repeat business. There are lots of honest, hardworking drivers who always charge correctly, but there will be some who see no downside to overcharging someone they don't expect ever to see again.

The new rate sheet and the recent tendency to keep rate information so secret (attempts by several people to get the official rate chart have failed thus far) is just going to create new problems and, probably, distrust of the drivers.

 

[njones259]

I never get into a taxi in Coz until we first agree on a price,that way there are never any problems or misunderstandings.

 

[mediumone]

Even better: Know what the rate for your destination is, get in, and pay the correct amount when exiting the cab. No discussion necessary.

 

[njones259]

I am not really fond of a 2 tier system of payment but know what a local fare is to most locations I travel in Cozumel.I am willing to pay a little more but not a lot more.I am willing to walk if my rate is not accepted.

 

[Christi]

I am not really fond of a 2 tier system of payment but know what a local fare is to most locations I travel in Cozumel.I am willing to pay a little more but not a lot more.I am willing to walk if my rate is not accepted.

There is not a 2 tier system unless you get a dishonest cab driver. There is ONE published and legal fare for ALL passengers - no difference in tourists or locals

 

[cvchief]

There is not a 2 tier system unless you get a dishonest cab driver. There is ONE published and legal fare for ALL passengers - no difference in tourists or locals

Define "published"....