Tifosi
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Cabo taxi's - what's going on?
Been away from the board for a while, and now I see some things about taxi blockades in Cabo. I was there about 3-4 weeks ago and didn't notice it.
I have some friends going down this weekend for the first time and I gave them my list of things to do. Will they run into problems? They have a
shuttle from SJD airport to their place in Cabo, but I want to forwarn them if need be.
Tifosi
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oxxo
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There is a conflict between the taxi union and the shuttle operators. Federal police were sent in to make sure everyone behaves themselves. Things
are back to normal now. No need to worry.
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Osprey
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Baja Western Onion has the complete story on the situation. Nothing is back to normal, it is worse. Everybody should worry. IMHO
Read the report on BWO then you tell me.
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CaboRon
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Osprey
Baja Western Onion has the complete story on the situation. Nothing is back to normal, it is worse. Everybody should worry. IMHO
Read the report on BWO then you tell me. |
Also the Gringo Gazette has had extensive stories over the last three issues.
CaboRon
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palmeto99
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Have not the feds helped. I thought they sent the troops in to quiet things down.
The advice I am about to give you is worth what you are paying for it.
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oxxo
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I have read the stories in the BWO and GG. I live here. I was out and about today. There is NO blockade at this time. The taxistas were causing
trouble before the Federales arrived. Things are back to normal now, although a permanent solution has yet to be resolved. Shuttles are operating as
they always have. The Federales are here to assure that the tourist business is not further disrupted. That could change iin the future, but for now
things are back to normal. It is NOT worse. It is better than it was a few weeks ago. I live here full time.
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Osprey
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OXXO, you don't take taxis. You are not a tourist. Wait for it. And while we're at it >> they have changed things around at the Alaska air
terminal at Los Cabos airport so ALL PEOPLE WAITING FOR ARRIVALS HAVE TO STAND OUTSIDE -- NO ARRIVAL BOARD, NO BATHROOMS, ETC. ETC.
What's gonna be normal for you when you go to the airport to pick up friends and because of the taxistas you have to stand in the heat not knowing if
the flight was cancelled or not and hoping you don't have to use the facilities -- no facilities amigo. What does it profit you personally to have
people think the taxi situation is a yawner?
[Edited on 8-22-2008 by Osprey]
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maspacifico
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I picked up people at the airport last week. Alaska terminal. No problem whatever. I don't remember the last time I actually got into the arrival
terminal there anyway, over a year? Got into the departure part and find anything you want. I wasn't delivering or picking up anyone while the
"problems" were occuring though. I was in town today and didn't see anything other than the usuall mayhem on the fourlane!
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oxxo
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Osprey, you are wrong. I had to return to CA recently on an an emergency. I used a taxi going out to the airport, $35 for three passengers. I took
Alaska both ways. I arrived back in Cabo (SJD) last week via Alaska. Booked a shuttle ticket for two back to my casa, inside the terminal with Los
Cabos Express shuttle, $14 each of us. Walked out of the terminal into the waiting shuttle which had the air conditioning going full blast. My wife
complained that the air conditioning was too cold. On the way to drop everyone off, they served an ice cold beer, either Pacifico or Modelo. They
dropped us off in front of our place, no muss no fuss. No blockades, no hassles, no nothing. Today, I drove past the Hilton. They had three large
45 passenger buses waiting to take a large convention group back to the airport which was boarding the buses. No blockade. I drove out near the
airport today for lunch at Mariscos Sandy. I drove the 4 lane and there were a number of shuttles going both ways full of people. The situation is
back to normal for the time being, as long as the Federales are in town.
I have been using Alaska for over three years now, several times a year. In that period of time peope have always had to wait outside for guest
arrivals, just like Terminal 1. It has always been that way as long as I have used Alaska. If you want to use bathrooms or see the arrival board
just go into the side of the building where the ticket counters are. I did it a couple of weeks ago when picking up a guest. In all seriousness, the
next time you need to go to the airport, I will be happy to assist you. Of course they have bathrooms near the ticket counters. Of course you can
check the status of a flight, both at the terminal as well as on line if you have access to a computer. Alaska has just started something neat. You
can see the plane as a moving red dot as it proceeds along a map of Baja. Since I live only 30 minutes from the airport it works great for me. I
think you live in Loreto so it wouldn't work for you. Really, let me know if I can help you in any way. I have a Mexican cell number that I will
give you. Call me and I will check my computer and give you the status of the flight. I don't want to fight with you.
I welcome the Federales. They are patrolling the 4 lane which is posted at 80 kph. Usually, before the Federales arrived, the average speed was
somewhere between 100 to 120 kph. With the Federales out, people have slowed it way down. Much safer now.
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Osprey
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My point was that at most modern airports there is a place for people to wait for oncoming flights. The taxi cartel effectively closed that place at
the Alaska terminal to assure non-taxi folks would have to be greatly inconvenienced and stop picking up their friends at the port.
How's that for cartel power? You think the taxistas are not going to have their own way now that they have effectively shut down Los Cabos for
tourism?
We crossed postings. I dont' want to fight with you or anybody. Thanks for your first hand report. I'll stop amping up what I think will eventually be
a very dangerous situation in Los Cabos if you will admit that the cartel is powerful and capable of pulling the whole town down around it's ankles.
Do you not agree that the power curve goes all the way up to the sky and that does not bode well for Cabo and tourism?
[Edited on 8-22-2008 by Osprey]
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CaboRon
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Osprey
My point was that at most modern airports there is a place for people to wait for oncoming flights. The taxi cartel effectively closed that place at
the Alaska terminal to assure non-taxi folks would have to be greatly inconvenienced and stop picking up their friends at the port.
How's that for cartel power? You think the taxistas are not going to have their own way now that they have effectively shut down Los Cabos for
tourism?
We crossed postings. I dont' want to fight with you or anybody. Thanks for your first hand report. I'll stop amping up what I think will eventually be
a very dangerous situation in Los Cabos if you will admit that the cartel is powerful and capable of pulling the whole town down around it's ankles.
Do you not agree that the power curve goes all the way up to the sky and that does not bode well for Cabo and tourism?
[Edited on 8-22-2008 by Osprey] |
Osprey,
You have nailed it on the head.
This is the latest courtesy of the Baja Western Onion:
"Los Cabos Taxi Operators Insist That The Mexican Federal Government Stay Out Of BCS Dispute. - The taxi operators in Los Cabos are insisting that the
BCS laws and the decision of the Mexican Supreme Court should be respected by the Mexican Federal government because they have no jurisdiction with
regard to the transportation conflict. They say that the Court declared that the problem has to be solved by the BCS State Governor.
Francisco Rodriguez, the taxi operators attorney announced that in the meeting between the Secretaries of the different taxi unions, it has been
determined after analyzing the advances that the authorities claim they have made, that these advances are not favorable at all to the business
interests of the taxi operators. He called on the representatives of all three levels of government to respect the Law and to comply with the Supreme
Court's decision. If the authorities refuse to do so, Rodriguez warned that the taxi operators would be forced to take legal action against all of the
authorities and the Mexican Federation in order to have the Federation excluded from this affair and in order to force the State government to comply
with the Court's resolution.
Rodriguez concluded by saying that the taxi operators are having a tough time since they have much less work this tourist season than in previous ones
when the tourist transportation operators were working under a court protective order that allowed them to work in Cabo, but that now that the
protective order has been rescinded by the Supreme Court, allowing the tourist transportes to be prevented from working in Cabo, they are not being
stopped, and are in fact being protected by the PFP, Mexican Federal Police.
This has reduced the work load and opportunities of the taxi operators. They would prefer to not have to resort to protests, and road and hotel
entrance blockages, but the authorities are not responding to the Supreme Court's orders and are not providing protection for the rights of the taxi
operators and they are growing more and more restless and are being given no option other than to mobilize, hoping to force a solution favorable to
their interests
Los Cabos Taxi Operators Earn $77 Thousand Dollars A Year. - And you wondered what all the fuss was about! A gold mine, the transportation business in
Los Cabos generates juicy profits, over $40 million dollars annually. $200,000 dollars is the cost of a taxi concession and license plates in Los
Cabos, BCS, $40 million dollars a year profits are earned by the taxi operators, $77 thousand dollars is earned by each taxi operator annually and
$215 dollars a day is earned by each taxi, reported the El Norte newspaper in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon on July 17.
A competitive study of transportation in Los Cabos revealed that the taxi operators captures more than 40% of the tourist passages that occur in the
city, receiving $77,000 dollars annually per unit. There are currently 523 taxis organized into nine gremios (unions). The study estimated that the
men behind the wheel earn $215 dollars a day and that the taxi license plates are traded (sold in the “grey market”) for $200,000 dollars each.
The State government contracted with a company, Associated Consultants with offices at the World Trade Center in Mexico City to realize the study
which revealed that the taxi industry receives revenues in excess of $40 million dollars a year. The study also revealed that of 3,000 surveys
conducted on visiting tourists visiting Los Cabos, the taxis transported 39.2%, renters 32.3% and 5.7% in organized trips and buses (could be
transporters but are not defined), and the rest by others. Taxis also serve 46.5% of the tourists that go to the airport and also 50% of the tourists
that leave Los Cabos by sea.
A few days ago, the Governor of BCS Narcisco Agundez referred to the taxi operators as an impoverished sector that has not had economic opportunities
because the tourist transporters capture 100% of the tourist passages in Cabo. Now the transporters with the support of the State, are looking to
enter the tourist market that arrive in groups and time sharing with transportation included in the travel packages. “The transporters take us to the
hotels, the restaurants, the boats, the fish bait stores or to sea, there are persons that still have a certain monopolies, that we cannot allow and
we will not allow because simply it is permitting enrichening some while impoverishing others,” said the Governor in defense of the taxi operators of
Los Cabos" posted 8/20
CaboRon
[Edited on 8-22-2008 by CaboRon]
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oxxo
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Osprey
My point was that at most modern airports there is a place for people to wait for oncoming flights. The taxi cartel effectively closed that place at
the Alaska terminal to assure non-taxi folks would have to be greatly inconvenienced and stop picking up their friends at the port.
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I have been flying into SJD for over ten years now, both Terminal 1 and Terminal 3. For the last 10 years you always had to wait outside for arriving
guests.
| Quote: | | How's that for cartel power? You think the taxistas are not going to have their own way now that they have effectively shut down Los Cabos for
tourism? |
The recent agressiveness by the taxi union has certainly hurt Cabo tourism, no doubt about it. But the biggest impact on tourism has been the state
of the economy in the US and rising ticket prices on the airlines.
| Quote: | | if you will admit that the cartel is powerful and capable of pulling the whole town down around it's ankles. Do you not agree that the power curve
goes all the way up to the sky and that does not bode well for Cabo and tourism? |
Yes the taxi union is very powerful in Los Cabos, especially since the Mexican Supreme Court sided with the taxi unions in their decision last month.
Yes, the power goes all the way to the top. Governor Algundez' family is one of nine families belonging to the taxi cartel. Everyone knew that
before he was elected. Carrie Duncan, editor/publisher of the Gringo Gazette has a scathing editorial critical of Algundez in the current issue.
Yes, she said in effect, the Mexicans deserve what they got by electing him. I don't always agree with her, but I give her credit for being brave and
forthright.
The taxi situation is an issue that will continue to fester. I have no idea what the ultimate outcome will be. There are a lot of rich, very
powerful Mexicans on the other side of the issue in the hotel, restaurant, residential development business who are being hurt by the actions of the
taxi union and they are not happy. A lot of Mexican workers are being hurt by the drop in tourism and they blame the taxistas. I get the feeling
talking to my Mexican friends that the recent agressiveness by the taxistas has turned public sentiment against them. Who knows how it will be
resolved.
But for the time being, things are back to normal. How long it will stay that way is anyone's guess.
PM me if you want my cell number.
Peace.
[Edited on 8-22-2008 by oxxo]
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rpleger
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I guess I'll just stay away from the Cabo area.
Richard on the Hill
*ABROAD*, adj. At war with savages and idiots. To be a Frenchman abroad is to
be miserable; to be an American abroad is to make others miserable.
-- Ambrose Bierce, _The Enlarged Devil\'s Dictionary_
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wilderone
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I flew in on the 5th and flew out on the 12th - had scheduled a van from La Ribera for my short trip north. There were no problems. There may be
political squabbles going on, but I didn't see or experience any problems. I don't know why the taxi union bosses think they can have a monopoly,
mafia-style. Someone should take care of them, mafia-style.
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CaboRon
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| Quote: | Originally posted by rpleger
I guess I'll just stay away from the Cabo area. |
I suspect that you never go to Cabo San Lucas anyway 
Methinks you don't need an excuse to stay away
Just be happy the scene you don't like is in Cabo
However , just think of it this way .....
If Cabo becomes abhorant to the party crowd maybe they will find another spot .....
I can see it now, it would be quite beautiful,
Bahia de Conception with four or five cruise vessels anchored out ....
The new party spot ... Mulege 
Maybe they could put in a new international airport too
Sammy Hager would buy the "Lighthouse" and open up a new nightclub and then it would be party down...
CaboRon
[Edited on 8-22-2008 by CaboRon]
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oxxo
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| Quote: | Originally posted by wilderone
I don't know why the taxi union bosses think they can have a monopoly, mafia-style. Someone should take care of them, mafia-style.
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I'm not taking sides here, but it is a very complicated situation. The shuttles are operating without State permits. The taxis do have the proper
State permits. Everyone agrees to those facts both the taxi union and the shuttle operators. The Mexican Supreme Court ruled last month that the
shuttle operators were in violation of the law. The taxi union says that the shuttle operators are taking business away illegally, which the Supreme
Court said is true.
Here is the Catch-22. The shuttle operators have applied for State permits but they have been denied. The Governor, Agundez, is one of 9 members of
the taxi cartel. He says he will not grant permits that will take money away from poor taxi drivers. What he is really saying is that his share of
the taxi cartel is about US$5 mil. a year and he wants more by eliminating the shuttle operations. He's a politician. He was elected by the taxistas
and their families. He knows what he needs to do to stay in power and grow his wealth.
On the other side of the fence is a handful of very wealthy mexicans who own the shuttle businesses. They want a greater share of that huge tourist
transportation pot. And they wouldn't mind if the forced the taxistas out of business.
So it is a handful of very wealthy, greedy Mexicans who are squabbling among themselves for more wealth. I say a pox on both their houses. In the
meantime, that huge tourist transportation pot is shrinking dramatically as a result of their infighting. If it keeps up, soon there will be no huge
tourist transportation pot to fight over.
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CaboRon
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Oxxo,
I think you have a good grasp of the situation ....
Just another example of the unbrideled greed that keeps Mexico a third world country.
CaboRon
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Osprey
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A great summary. Well put. That's what I was hoping for in your first post. Now, at this late date it almost makes sense for some Cabo nite spots to
overcharge, undersatisfy the customer they think will never return -- the "one shot" customer who will bad mouth Cabo when they get back to
Weenieville. Even Priceline customers want to be pampered, not hustled so this will have to play out -- in the meantime a lot of very nice people in
your town will be suffering. It is such a shame; Cabo is one lovely place if you look at the big picture.
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oxxo
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Osprey
Now, at this late date it almost makes sense for some Cabo nite spots to overcharge, undersatisfy the customer they think will never return
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I have never understood the Mexican Business Model. It goes something like this: When business is bad, increase prices and decrease services. Huh?
It doesn't make sense to me. I see this model over and over again in Cabo. I don't get it, I guess I'm clueless.
But back on topic, at this time there is no problem with using either taxis and/or shuttles at the airport and to other local locations.
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