Tulum Taxi Fares Remain Unclear as Union Sets New Rates and State Pushes Meters

Tulum, Quintana Roo — A new taxi fare board circulating in Tulum is not an officially authorized tariff, according to the Quintana Roo Mobility Institute, despite being presented to passengers as the current price guide.

The Tiburones del Caribe taxi union published the 24-zone fare board on Sept. 3. It lists prices for trips between downtown Tulum, residential neighborhoods, the archaeological zone and destinations along the coastal road, reaching as far as the Rosa Negra restaurant. The highest fare shown is 300 pesos.

One day after the board appeared, the Quintana Roo Mobility Institute, known as Imoveqroo, said it had not authorized an increase in Tulum taxi fares or any other public transportation rates in the state.

The document reportedly contains no state agreement number, authorization date, official seal or signature. Under Quintana Roo law, Imoveqroo, not individual transportation unions, has the authority to approve and publish public transportation fares.

Some fares have more than tripled

The union’s board divides Tulum into 24 fare zones, six more than the last state-authorized table published in 2019. The additional divisions produce substantial differences on some trips.

Under the 2019 table, La Veleta was treated as one destination with a fare of 31 pesos. The union has now divided the neighborhood into three zones priced at 50, 80 and 100 pesos.

The 100-peso fare represents an increase of approximately 223 percent over the earlier price.

A trip from central Tulum to Yaax Tulum rises from 32 to 70 pesos under the new board. The fare to the archaeological zone increases from 49 to 90 pesos. The minimum price on the union’s schedule is 50 pesos, compared with 31 pesos under the 2019 tariff.

Union Secretary-General Manuel Enrique Solís Alcocer has said the charges themselves are not new. According to Solís, drivers were already applying the prices informally, and the purpose of the board is to standardize them while accounting for neighborhoods and destinations not covered by the older table.

That explanation does not make the prices official. Quintana Roo’s Mobility Law gives Imoveqroo responsibility for approving transportation tariffs. Taxi concession holders are required to display the rates authorized by the state.

State wants meters in Tulum taxis

Imoveqroo Director Rafael Hernández Kotasek said the state is preparing to introduce taximeters in Tulum, including in taxis serving the coastal hotel zone.

The meters would calculate fares according to distance rather than relying on a fixed zone or a price quoted by an individual driver. Hernández acknowledged that taxi operators have requested an adjustment to cover their operating costs, but said unusually high charges for short trips cannot be justified.

“A two-kilometer trip to the coastal zone cannot cost 800 pesos,” he said while discussing the proposal.

The state has not announced when the meters would be installed, what starting and per-kilometer rates would apply or whether their use would be mandatory in every Tulum taxi.

Imoveqroo has also not published a replacement fare table or publicly ordered the union to withdraw its 24-zone board. Passengers are therefore facing two conflicting messages: the union is displaying the new prices, while the state says it never authorized them.

New app will display fares and colectivo schedules

At the same time, the Tiburones del Caribe union is preparing a digital transportation platform with California-based technology company Flywheel.

Solís said the application was expected to reach Google’s Play Store in mid-September, followed by Apple’s App Store. The full system is expected to begin operating within approximately one month.

The platform will cover four types of transportation: standard taxis, the women-operated Taxi Rosa service, local colectivos and intercity colectivos. It is being presented primarily as a fare-and-schedule information system rather than an Uber-style ride-hailing application.

Passengers will be able to check taxi prices and colectivo departure times. Intercity vans reportedly already have GPS equipment, which the union plans to use to display their positions in real time. A later phase is expected to introduce prepaid card payments.

The union has also been standardizing driver uniforms, vehicle markings and fare displays. QR codes inside vehicles and at authorized stops are intended to give passengers access to more detailed price information.

The app could make the transportation system easier to understand, particularly for residents who rely on colectivos. However, the union has not clarified whether it will display the rates on its new 24-zone board or fares formally approved by Imoveqroo.

Publishing a price through an app or QR code may make it more visible, but it does not give that price legal authorization.

Transportation system undergoing wider changes

The disagreement comes as Quintana Roo begins restructuring public transportation throughout the state.

Imoveqroo wants to move away from a system centered on individual concession holders and toward regulated operating companies. Under the proposed model, authorities would establish routes and service frequencies, while transportation companies would be paid according to the distance traveled.

The wider plan also includes vehicle monitoring, digital payments, prepaid cards and the state’s Mobi transportation application.

Tulum does not currently have the urban bus network being developed in cities such as Chetumal. Ride-hailing services have also struggled to operate consistently, leaving residents, tourism workers and visitors with few alternatives to taxis and colectivos in many areas.

The lack of competition makes clear and enforceable pricing particularly important.

What passengers should know

The union’s new board may reflect prices that some Tulum drivers have already been charging, but Imoveqroo says it is not an authorized state tariff.

Passengers should ask for the full price before entering a taxi. Anyone who believes they have been overcharged should retain photographs, receipts and information identifying the taxi or driver.

Imoveqroo accepts citizen complaints through its official website. The institute lists its main telephone number as 983-835-1350.

For now, neither side has provided passengers with a complete resolution. The union has a new zone board and an app on the way, while the state has proposed taximeters without announcing when they will be introduced.

Until Imoveqroo publishes an updated tariff or implements the meter program, the dispute over what a Tulum taxi ride should officially cost remains unresolved.