The US State Department has issued a travel advisory in tourist spots along Mexico’s Caribbean coast amid clashes between angry taxi drivers and Uber ride-sharing customers and drivers.
The warning comes after medallion taxi drivers in Mexico’s state of Quintana Roo, home to Cancun and other popular tourist areas in the Yucatán Peninsula, harassed and attacked drivers and passengers in Uber vehicles because they were frustrated with ride-sharing competition.
Taxi drivers even blocked one of the main roads leading to the hotel district in the resort town of Cancun on Monday. This forced some tourists to go to the airport or ride in police pickups.
The State Department told travelers that “in the past, disputes between these services and local taxi unions have occasionally turned violent, resulting in injuries to US citizens in some cases.”
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Taxi drivers walk past a sign reading ‘We fight for taxi drivers’ rights’ while protesting the regulation of taxi-hailing apps like Uber in Cancun, Mexico, January 11, 2023. (Portal/Paola Chiomante)
Social media sites have been full of videos over the past two days showing tourists being verbally abused – and in one case apparently abused – by groups of several uniformed taxi drivers.
The Cancun Police Department shared photos of travelers getting into the back of police trucks and said that “given the blockages on Kukulcan Boulevard, our transit officers have been helping people get to the airport.”
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Taxi drivers protest against the regulation of taxi-hailing apps like Uber in Cancun, Mexico, on January 11, 2023. (Portal/Paola Chiomante)
Cancun’s mayor has called on taxi drivers to exercise restraint.
“I will not allow a small group to damage the resort’s reputation and people’s safety,” Mayor Ana Patricia Peralta said in a recorded message.
The taxi union, which represents about 12,000 members in Cancun, was outraged by a Jan. 11 court ruling allowing Uber to operate without a public transit license required for taxis, Mexico News Daily reported.
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An Uber spokesman told Fox News Digital that this travel advisory was specific to Cancun and that the State Department has repeatedly cited Uber as a safe alternative in the country.
“Uber is a strong global safety advocate, and we have teams in the US and Mexico dedicated to working with law enforcement and providing 24/7 assistance to riders and drivers through the Uber app ‘ said the spokesman.
The safety warning comes after the State Department issued travel advisories in dozens of Mexican states over crime concerns, including “Do Not Travel” advisories for the states of Zacatecas, Guerrero, Colima and others.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Andrew Mark Miller is a Fox News writer. Find him on Twitter @andymarkmiller and email tips to [email protected].