Truckers’ Protest Snarls Traffic and Delays Flights in Cancún

Cancún, Quintana Roo — A truckers’ protest that drew more than 400 cargo trucks onto Federal Highway 307 caused severe traffic disruptions on the road out of Cancún toward Playa del Carmen on Monday and left airline passengers stranded or delayed at Cancún International Airport.

State authorities reported that traffic reopened at the Xoximilco stretch in the Playa del Carmen-to-Cancún direction at 7:15 p.m., though officials later said flow in the south-to-north lanes remained intermittent. Truckers and highway assistance crews stayed at the site to manage the movement of vehicles.

Officials pointed drivers heading south to the Ruta de los Cenotes as an alternative route and urged motorists to drive cautiously and follow the instructions of personnel deployed to the area.

Why Truckers Joined the National Strike

The Quintana Roo drivers joined a nationwide mobilization to demand better conditions for their work, citing insecurity on the highways, high taxes, corruption and steep operating costs. Their rigs lined both shoulders of Federal Highway 307 at kilometer 338, between the exit from the Cancún-Mérida highway bypass and the bridge opposite the Moon Palace hotel, on the route toward Puerto Morelos, Playa del Carmen and the Riviera Maya’s tourist destinations.

José Alberto Estrella Sierra, southeast regional coordinator of the Mexican Alliance of Trucking Organizations (HAMOTAC), said insecurity is the main driver of the national protest, particularly in central Mexico, although he noted the problem does not play out the same way in Quintana Roo.

“We are asking for security — that is number one, security on every highway nationwide. Number two, the tax package is hitting truckers across the board, it is stripping us of everything and we will not allow it. We are tired of always being the government’s petty cash. We will not allow it,” he said.

Javier Chin, HAMOTAC’s state delegate, said truckers also face corruption in various parts of the country. “There is a lot of corruption in many states when it comes to permits. They pull you over for reasons that make no sense, and in the end it comes down to corruption or a payoff that sometimes exceeds 20,000 or 30,000 pesos,” he said.

One Lane Open and Two-Kilometer Backups

Cancún itself saw no full road closures, but traffic was reduced to a single lane at the gathering point, creating major problems for motorists. With normal tourist traffic in the mix, congestion built in both directions and lines of vehicles stretched beyond two kilometers.

One group of truckers assembled in the morning at the exit from Cancún toward Mérida. A caravan of units later drove along the road known as Gas Auto and merged onto the highway bypass to reach the main protest site.

The demonstration took place near the entrances to Cancún International Airport and the Hotel Zone, disrupting travel for tourists, especially those trying to leave the air terminal. Officers from the State Highway Police, traffic agents and personnel from the Quintana Roo Mobility Institute (IMOVEQROO) worked the scene to try to keep vehicles moving.

Passengers Miss Flights as Crews Run Late

The road problems also affected transfers to Cancún International Airport. According to information on airport operations, passengers flying with Air Transat, Viva, WestJet and Volaris reported missing their flights and were being helped to rebook their trips.

Several flights were also delayed because crews could not reach the airport on time, a situation attributed to complications from the blockade. The report listed two delayed WestJet flights and one Volaris flight due to missing crew members, along with two Southwest flights delayed for the same reason. Crew-related delays ran between 80 and 120 minutes.

Traffic on Federal Highway 307 remained subject to the state of the protest, with reports of intermittent openings and closures along the Xoximilco stretch. Drivers were advised to allow extra travel time, consider alternate routes and watch for instructions from traffic authorities, particularly those heading to the airport or to tourist destinations in the Riviera Maya.