Tulum taxi overcharging scandal exposed in viral video

TULUM — “Another taxi that robs you in Tulum.” With that phrase begins the complaint video from a user that once again exposes irregular practices in the municipality’s taxi service, just as peak season begins and the streets fill with national and foreign tourists. The recording shows a driver from the Mayan Monkey stand who carried more than four different rate sheets, all with different prices for the same routes, without any official public document available to verify which is the correct fare.

The flagged taxi — unit number 353, license plates B-233-TMY, also identified with logos from the Eiby platform — attempted to charge over 300 pesos for a trip of less than two kilometers. According to the complainant, when trying to photograph the lists to compare them, the driver prohibited it citing “internal policies” and subsequently denied the service, despite having already started the journey.

The user claims the rate sheets were printed in Spanish and English and that all had significant differences between them. Only one could be documented on video, but the rest, which were quickly hidden by the operator, showed different prices for the same destinations.

The documents captured by the user bear the printed signature of Manuel Enrique Solís Alcocer, general secretary of the Tiburones del Caribe union. However, Solís Alcocer has not publicly presented an official rate sheet, nor has he informed which version is current. There is also no website, QR code, or institutional link where tourists and residents can verify the real costs of the service.

This contrasts with announcements made by the leader himself months ago, when he assured that official rate sheets would be available in hotels, restaurants, and tourist establishments. Despite it already being December and in the midst of tourist influx, those rate sheets have not been distributed or published.

Since his arrival in the municipality, citizens have pointed out that Solís Alcocer has opened various businesses — including a restaurant and an electric motorcycle store — while the taxi service continues operating in opacity. His public presence is reduced to tours with bodyguards and attendance at events, but not to directly addressing the problem that affects daily mobility and the destination’s image.

The lack of regulation has allowed each operator to use their own version of rate tables, apply different fares depending on the passenger, and hide information when someone tries to photograph it. This situation has been the subject of national and international criticism in recent years, affecting the perception of Tulum as a tourist destination.

With the massive arrival of visitors and growing transportation demand, the citizen demand is clear: a single, verifiable, and accessible rate sheet is needed to prevent irregular charges and protect both local users and tourists. As long as the union does not present an official document or implement control mechanisms, abuses will continue occurring in broad daylight during the most important season of the year.