Everyone´s Favorite Subject: Taxis in Playa

Unfortunately for the Lázaro Cárdenas del Río taxi union, they don´t exactly have the best reputation for service quality in the municipality of Solidaridad. Tourists and locals complain about the poor service and price gouging.  

Given that many of the visitors don’t know hot to file a complaint or simply know the local prices, we reached out to Jesús Pastor Martín Medina, secretary general of the union.

Per Martín Medina, complaints can be made at the union office on federal highway 307, near Xcaret. The labor secretary speaks English and can take your complaint. It is important to have the taxi number and driver name, if possible. Each driver should always have a card with their name visible in the taxi. The fares depend on which zone you get the taxi and what zone your destination lies.

It is important to note that when you take a taxi at an official site, such as the one on the corner of Quinta Avenida and Juarez, next to the ADO bus terminal, there is an extra cost of five pesos which is authorized by the state transportation secretary.

In the case of tourists who take a taxi from any of the large hotels, the fares vary depending on the hotel, and these rates are also authorized by the transportation secretary. In this case, it is best to verify the fare before you get in the taxi. We recommend confirming rates with the front desk of your hotel.

Finally, Martín Medina added that they are developing a free app to download the fare index. The app is almost ready, but we were told it needs to be tested before it can be published. It will be available via any mobile device, and you will be able to enter your point of origin and destination, and the price will automatically appear.

We all look forward to this app as a way to ensure that both tourists and locals can be comfortable that they are paying the authorized price. As soon as we hear it is available, we will notify our readers here and via Facebook.