Gas Stations Break Fuel Price Pact in Quintana Roo

QUINTANA ROO, Mexico — In February of this year, the federal government and various players in the gasoline sector renewed a pact to maintain a maximum price of 24 pesos per liter for regular gasoline. However, this cost has not been respected in the Mexican Caribbean, affecting not only citizens but all transportation service providers.

In Cancún, Playa del Carmen, and Tulum, the price of regular gasoline can be found between 24 and 25 pesos, while premium gasoline exceeds 26 pesos. The price varies in each city and station, but a driver regularly spends between 1,040 and 1,050 pesos to fill, for example, a 40-liter tank. If the price of 24 pesos were respected, it could be done for 960 pesos.

"It affects tourist transportation immensely because our units have to be driving around all day, due to the mechanics, due to the business model we have. Not all passengers can be transported in buses; it has to be vans, and these vans are circulating all day between the hotels and the airport, and they do generate a very significant fuel expense," confirmed Sergio González Rubiera, president of the Mexican Association of Inbound Tourism Agencies (AMATUR).

According to the Federal Consumer Prosecutor's Office (Profeco), approximately 6 percent of the country's gasoline stations continue to sell regular gasoline above the cap of 24 pesos per liter, agreed upon as part of the National Strategy to Stabilize Fuel Prices. In Quintana Roo, practically all stations exceed 24 pesos and come very close to 25 pesos.

In the report "Who's Who in Fuel Prices?" which is presented every Monday at President Claudia Sheinbaum's press conference, state gas stations commonly receive a "check mark" for being among those selling the most expensive fuel.

The ideal scenario, according to González Rubiera, would be for Quintana Roo to also join in respecting the price of less than 24 pesos. "But unfortunately, they often take advantage of tourist zones, believing it is a state with higher incomes, and with that pretext, they do not lower the prices. The issue is not like that; the tourism industry also has its significant costs, not only in transportation but in hospitality in general, in supplies, all the services that revolve around tourism always depend on gasoline, so it is indeed regrettable," opined the interviewee.

Regarding fuel expenses in the transportation service, he said they are very variable because there are everything from luxury vans like Suburbans, which have very large tanks, to other more economical 8 and 10-passenger vans with smaller engines. Therefore, the cost is very variable, but all of them have to be filled several times a day.

"We join Profeco's call; hopefully, they will listen, for the good of the destination and the economy of Quintana Roo, of Cancún and the Riviera Maya, which is where the highest concentration of hotel rooms is," he urged.

At the People's Conference on Monday, September 22, Profeco reported that 12,259 gas stations comply with the price of regular gasoline below the cap of 24 pesos, approximately 94.2 percent of the total service stations monitored across the country. Meanwhile, 757 gas stations continue to sell above the established limit.

During the presentation, the list of service stations with the highest indicators for regular gasoline was shown, which included Quintana Roo, with GoGas, located on Avenida Prolongación Bonampak, supermanzana 51, in Cancún.