Majahual Taxi Drivers Protest Ejido Fee Hike

CHETUMAL — The Secretary General of the Taxi Drivers' Union of Majahual, Juan Manuel Lanz Intzincab, confirmed that agreements have not been reached with members of the Chacchoben ejido, who insist on imposing a fee of seven dollars per person for taxi drivers to use the parking area, a charge the transport operators deem excessive.

Lanz Intzincab explained that since 2016, the amount drivers were required to cover to park their vehicles was three dollars per tourist, a cost that is applied to the visitor at the time of requesting service to the archaeological zone. He stated that the ejido's current effort to increase this amount negatively impacts not only the taxi drivers' economy but also tourism itself, a effect that is already becoming apparent as visitors are opting not to travel to the area where the ruins are located due to this situation.

"The Chacchoben ejido has harmed all operators, but we are working on it and we will not lower our guard; we will continue seeking ways to negotiate so that these overly inflated and exorbitant rates are not imposed," said Lanz Intzincab. "We are locals, and they want to charge us seven dollars per person to use the parking lot when they used to charge three. If three dollars was already a lot, covering seven we see as difficult, and tours there have dropped significantly, which is severely affecting us."

He indicated that although they have had meetings with the State Government to present this problem and even with the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) to find a solution and establish a beneficial agreement for both parties, they have so far been unable to persuade the communal landowners, who maintain the proposal for this charge, even though it is already having a negative impact.

Therefore, the leader of the taxi drivers in the Costa Maya mentioned that they will propose to the authorities the consideration of opening an alternate route to bypass the ejido and thus avoid the payment, similar to what was done at El Jaguar Park in Tulum. If this is denied, they will then offer other tours to less costly attractions.

"What we are going to ask for is that the federal government provide an access road there where people can enter without cost to the tourist," Lanz Intzincab stated. "We saw that the Secretary, Cristina, was in Tulum and they made an access on the beach to do the same thing. We are looking to be supported, although right now with this new company new destinations are going to open, and of course if there is another better alternative that does not directly attack tourism or the taxi driver, we will have to go to Ichkabal, to Bacalar."

He added that they have also already begun talks with representatives of Royal Caribbean, the new owners of the cruise ship terminal, to try to stop this abuse by the agrarian community through them.