The US Department of State has issued a travel advisory in tourist cities throughout Caribbean coast of Mexico amid clashes between disgruntled taxi drivers and Uber rideshare customers and drivers.
The warning comes after medallion taxi drivers in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, where Cancun and other popular tourist areas of the Yucatan Peninsula are located, have been harassing and attacking drivers and passengers of Uber vehicles due to frustration with the competition offered by the shared ride service. .
Taxi drivers even blocked one of the main roads leading to the hotel zone of the resort of Cancun on Monday. That forced some tourists to walk or ride in police vans to get their flights or check in.
The State Department advised Travellers that “past disputes between these services and local taxi unions have occasionally turned violent, resulting in injuries to US citizens in some cases.”
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Taxi drivers walk past a sign reading “We are fighting for the rights of taxi drivers” during a protest against the regulation of taxi apps like Uber in Cancun, Mexico on January 11, 2023.
(Reuters/Paola Chiomante)
Social networking sites have been abuzz for the past two days with videos showing tourists being berated, and in one case apparently roughed up, by groups of several uniformed taxi drivers.
The Cancun police department shared photos of travelers getting on the bed of police trucks, saying that “given the blockades on Kukulcán boulevard, our traffic officers helped people get to the airport.”
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Taxi drivers protest against the regulation of taxi apps like Uber in Cancun, Mexico on January 11, 2023.
(Reuters/Paola Chiomante)
The mayor of Cancun has called on taxi drivers to show restraint.
“I am not going to allow a small group to damage the reputation of the resort and human safety,” Mayor Ana Patricia Peralta said in a recorded message.
The Taxi Union, which represents some 12,000 members in Cancun, was outraged by a January 11 court ruling that allows Uber to operate without the public transportation license required for taxis. Mexico News Daily reported.
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Cancun beach during the summer.
(iStock)
Uber did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
The security advisory comes after the State Department issued travel advisories in dozens of Mexican states due to crime concerns, including “Do Not Travel” notices to the states of Zacatecas, Guerrero, Colima and others.
Associated Press contributed to this report
