MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s police have arrested three taxi drivers have been arrested in Puerto Morelos, just south of the resort of Cancun, for threatening a tourist for using a rides-hare app.
Drivers of traditional cabs at resorts along Mexico’s Caribbean coast have for years harassed and even beaten tourists who use Uber and other ride-share apps, and have attacked and damaged cars used by ride-share drivers.
In videos posted on social media Wednesday, the drivers can be seen blocking an English-speaking tourist from getting into the ride-share car.
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“It’s not possible … you can’t take Uber because we’re going to call the police, we’re going to block him, and you’re going to be in trouble, too,” they say in the video.
Prosecutors said one of the drivers involved in Wednesday’s incident was being held on suspicion of drug possession. The other two drivers were being held pending unspecified charges. The prosecutors also recommended their taxi permits and drivers’ licenses be revoked.
Ride-hailing apps had been blocked in Cancun until 2023, when a court granted an injunction allowing Uber to operate.
The state prosecutors’ office said “any act that puts at risk the safety of local residents and domestic or international tourists, will not be permitted, covered up or much less tolerated in Quintana Roo,” the state where Cancun and Puerto Morelos are located.
Traditional cabs in the area charge extremely high fares and have bitterly opposed cheaper alternatives. Some taxi drivers have also been implicated in drug rings.
Earlier this year, prosecutors arrested two taxi drivers who participated in the beating of two German tourists outside a club in the resort of Playa del Carmen, further south of Cancun. The drivers were charged with drug possession after they were found to be carrying marijuana and cocaine in their taxis.
In 2023, violent confrontations erupted between traditional taxi drivers and those working for ride-hailing apps. High taxi fares have long been a subject of debate in Cancun.
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Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
