Deadly Taxis: Shocking Truth About Cancún Transport

Taxis in Cancún are regarded as the most hazardous form of public transportation due to the reckless driving habits of their operators. They are involved in six out of every 10 accidents involving public transport.

According to a report from the Municipal Secretary of Public Safety and Traffic, there were 362 road incidents involving public transportation units in Benito Juárez from January to July 10, 2024. Out of these, taxis were involved in 232 cases.

Traffic officers have noted that the taxis of the "Andrés Quintana Roo" union are most prone to accidents during rush hours and school hours, specifically between 6 and 10 a.m., and from 3 to 9 p.m. The accidents are usually caused by reckless maneuvers such as passing on the right, turning quickly, tailgating, ignoring stop signs, and using mobile phones while driving. Private drivers have also collided with taxi drivers due to similar reasons.

Manuel Puerto Castillo, the delegate of the Institute of Mobility of Quintana Roo (Imoveqroo) in Benito Juárez, has stated that a complaint service is available at the institution's facilities. This allows citizens to report any incident involving public transportation, making it easier to enforce regulations and penalties for drivers involved in accidents.

The majority of these accidents occur on avenues such as López Portillo, Kabah, Uxmal, Nichupté, Andrés Quintana Roo, La Luna, Bonampak, Francisco I. Madero, Miguel Hidalgo, and Arco Vial.

While March had the highest number of reported accidents with 49, the other months also saw a steady number of incidents. In January, February, April, May, and June of this year, there were 31, 39, 37, 38, and 33 incidents respectively.

In the first six months of 2023, there were 229 accidents involving taxi drivers. Currently, Cancún has approximately 9,800 registered taxi plates, operated by around 28,000 people, in addition to the owners or concessionaires. This accounts for 60% of all units and operators in Quintana Roo, which, according to the National Institute of Statistics and Geography, are estimated at 23,200 vehicles and over 55,000 operators.