Transportation options from Cancun International Airport will increase by the end of the year with the recent approval for Uber and other transportation companies to pick up and drop off tourists at the airport.
Mexico’s Deputy Minister of Infrastructure, Communications and Transport, Rogelio Jiménez Pons, recently made the appointment announcement of an agreement allowing the popular digital ride-sharing app to function at the country’s airports.
Uber at the airport
The inability of tourists to Uber to and from the airport is a frustration for many visitors to the Mexican Caribbean.
Although it has been operating in other areas of the city and in the tourist zone, it will now be allowed to drop off and pick up travelers at the airport to take them to destinations around the Mexican Caribbean.
In return, Uber will have to pay the same standard fares as the other transportation options for tourists at Cancun International Airport.
In addition to Uber, other transportation options such as Didi and Cabify will also be available for travelers to choose from.
Resolve the fight
The agreement with the ride-share companies will hopefully calm the ongoing feud between ride-share drivers and taxi drivers.
The battle between the transportation providers was publicly broadcast on social media with commentaries and TikTok videos capturing the battle.
It became aggressive, leading to physical attacks on both taxi and taxi drivers in the area.
Unfortunately, tourists to Cancun and other destinations in the Mexican Caribbean also often found themselves in the middle of the battle between the two transportation providers.
Increasing competition for travelers
The ultimate goal of the agreement to allow ride-sharing companies and other transportation providers to operate at Cancun International Airport is to increase competition and provide options for travelers visiting the resort destination.
Hopefully, travelers can enjoy more options, flexibility, transportation choices, and possibly even lower prices for transportation to and from the airport.
Although all airport transportation concessionaires must pay the same standard passenger pick-up and drop-off rates to operate at the airport, the actual cost of mileage covered depends on the transportation company.
This allows ride-share companies to adjust their prices up and down according to peak times, known as surge pricing in the industry.
According to a recent news report on the issuesome taxi drivers in Cancun have charged customers as much as $1,500 Mexican pesos (or about $83) for a one-way ride to the airport from the tourist zone.
Some customers have noted that price makes up a large portion of their overall transportation budget.
Tips for Cancun Travelers
Visitors to Cancun will soon have more options to choose from when arriving or departing from the international airport.
Several popular ride-sharing apps will provide convenience and choice to tourists visiting the Mexican Caribbean.
Along with the added competition, the hope is that prices will adjust to become more favorable for travelers looking for transportation options.
In the past, limited transportation choices forced travelers to pay what the main provider charged or find other options to get to and from the airport.
For many travelers, the first impression of the high transportation costs from the airport started their vacation to Cancun on a negative note.
With the addition of airport transportation, Uber also announced plans to expand its popular Uber Eats service to the state of Quintana Roo, where Cancun is located.
That will provide more income opportunities for Uber drivers in the area, and provide more convenient food and other delivery services for travelers in the tourist zone.