Fare Hike Rollback in Playa del Carmen Sparks Relief – Taxi Union Victory

The Lázaro Cárdenas del Río taxi union has successfully negotiated with local authorities and affiliated van operators to halt an unauthorized fare increase that had been in effect for a week. The general secretary of the taxi union, Luis Herrera Quiam, confirmed that they had engaged in discussions with operators to cease the additional 15 peso charge, a cost that had sparked public outrage in recent days. Approximately 600 van units providing service across various neighborhoods and subdivisions of Playa del Carmen, as well as the town hall of Puerto Aventuras, were involved.

Following respectful and open dialogue with authorities, the cost of the collective transport service in Solidaridad will remain at its official rate. This outcome was achieved through a strong commitment to initiate coordinated discussions to address the long-standing concerns of transport workers.

Last Monday, van operators from the Lázaro Cárdenas del Río union began implementing an additional 15 peso charge, five pesos above the authorized 10 pesos. This public transport service in Solidaridad is regulated by the State Government, through the Institute of Mobility of the State of Quintana Roo (Imoveqroo). The unauthorized increase led to public dissatisfaction, prompting the state agency to initiate inspections and seize units in violation. During this crackdown, 20 van operators were fined. Despite this, the unauthorized charge persisted, leading Luis Herrera Quiam to call an extraordinary meeting on Friday, which resulted in the new agreements.

Quiam stated, "Union struggles stem from real needs, and we cannot ignore them if we want our service to continue and improve for everyone. I thank the state government for opening the doors to dialogue and allowing us to start working together to find a fair balance." Since the meeting, there have been no further reports of the 15 peso charge.