Should you take Uber in Cancun? State Department warning about Rideshare apps /

The US State Department issued an ominous warning late last month to travelers visiting the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, advising them to avoid rideshare apps such as Uber and Cabify, a Spanish company operating in Latin America.

While the app can be found in more than 10,000 cities around the world, the State Department said it discouraged tourists from using Uber in Cancun.

Here’s the State Department’s warning:

In the wake of recent incidents involving taxi and Uber drivers in Quintana Roo, U.S. citizens are being reminded of the guidance on Travel.State.gov, specifically on the use of application-based transportation services in Mexico, which states: Application-Based car services like Uber and Cabify are available in many Mexican cities and generally offer another safe alternative to taxis. However, official complaints against Uber and other drivers do occur, and previous disputes between these services and local taxi unions have occasionally turned violent, resulting in injuries to US citizens in some cases.

Why has this alert been sent now? Tensions have arisen between local taxi unions, who have protested that rideshares should be subject to the same rules as them and be required to have business licenses, giving rideshare apps an unfair advantage over taxi drivers. Such tensions have spread from the airport to popular tourist attractions such as Kukulcán Boulevard in the hotel district.

Travelers who have visited Cancun in the past may recall that rideshare options were not readily available from Cancun Airport. Rideshares were banned in Cancun until recently, when a court order allowed rideshare apps like Uber and Cabify to operate legally in the area. Uber responded positively to the ruling, saying the company claimed it did not need a public transportation concession to operate in the area, according to a report from the Cancun Sun, a local media outlet.

High costs, coupled with aggressive tactics by airport drivers, have led some travelers to forego medallion taxis in favor of much cheaper rideshare apps.

Uber, for its part, made no mention of any unrest on its Cancun page, instead providing a map of where Uber operates in the Quintana Roo region and price estimates for fares in the area. For example, an Uber X from Cancun International Airport to the popular Hotel Zone (Zona Hotelera) has a minimum fare of just 35 Mexican pesos (about $2).

In stark contrast, rates are listed on the Cancun Airport website with rates ranging from $25 (if booked online) to $45 (if booked at the airport). These rates are in US dollars.

Local reports say the military has been deployed to beaches and the hotel zone — where many all-inclusive resorts are located — to prevent violence between taxi drivers and drivers from spreading to tourists.

Is it safe to use Uber in Cancun?

Drivers and motorcyclists have been accosted by protesters in recent weeks, according to the Associated Press – and some travelers are hitchhiking to the airport in police cars as a result of the protests. Late last month, taxi drivers were accused of pelting Uber drivers with stones.

Whether you plan to take a local taxi, Uber, or another rideshare option, there are ways to be proactive about your safety. The Uber app offers a feature that allows friends or family to track your location. In addition, many smartphones, such as the iPhone, offer a “find my” option, which allows friends or loved ones to access your real-time location.

Relatively recent issues of violent crime in Quintana Roo have attracted international attention and unnerved tourists, who were assured that Cancún was relatively safe. The State Department is encouraging travelers going to Quintana Roo to exercise caution in the region due to the risk of crime and kidnapping.

In November 2021, two people were killed in a shootout at the Hyatt Ziva Riviera Cancun, a 5-star resort. That attack, in which an armed gunman reportedly arrived by boat and stormed the resort, is said to be drug-related. And in January 2022, a shootout at a resort near Playa del Carmen killed a Canadian citizen and wounded two others.

Yet the risk of violent crime in tourist hotspots remains relatively isolated.