I took my first Uber ride on a jaunt to Guadalajara last summer to attend a journalists’ seminar on Mexico’s new justice system. 

It was a truly marvelous experience compared to previous and often hair-raising travels by taxi. The courteous and neatly attired Uber chauffer picked me up within minutes after descending from the bus trip from Chapala. The car was an immaculate recent model.  

The driver offered bottled water as we sailed smoothly to the heart of the state capital in total peace and comfort, arriving at my destination in a flash. No banda music on the radio, nor clunk and clatter common to beat-up city taxis.

I don’t recall the cost, but know it was considerably less than the average taxi fare even after negotiating a “bargain” price.

The return trip to the bus station by another Uber car confirmed my positive impression of the novel transport system that has taken the world by storm.

As a techno-challenged senior stuck to old-fashioned ways from decades of small-town life in Ajijic, I doubt I could have managed the Uber booking on my own. Fortunately, I was accompanied by a smart 20-something daughter armed with a smart phone loaded with the necessary app. She picked away at the keyboard with complete ease, making it all painless for feckless, gismo-fumbling mom. 

Now sold on the luxury of Uber, I was delighted to learn that the service in now starting to make inroads at Lakeside.  A Facebook page popular among local expats is loaded with posts on the topic. 

I found multiple testimonies on cost benefits, citing fares in the range of 250 to 270 pesos for trips from the city to Chapala or Ajijic, compared to 600 pesos and up by taxi.  Transport to and from the airport run about the same, half as much as the usual cost of a cab ride. Rates do vary according to the time of day – considering peak rush hours and late night travel – as well as distances.

The downside is the spotty availability of Uber cars around here since nearly all of them are based in the city. They circulate in droves on urban streets, rarely roaming the lakeshore area unless they happen to roll in to drop off passengers.  

That accounts for complaints from clients who report spending hours trying to line up a ride or waiting 20 minutes or more for pick-up.  

The Uber Guadalajara website maps out an area of operation within the boundaries of the metro area. The southern limit is shown at the VFG arena on the Guadalajara-Chapala highway a short distance past the airport. 

A Mexican friend from Chapala filled me in on his inquiries to sign up as a locally based Uber driver.  Requirements for certification include presenting a valid driver’s license, current car registration, an appropriate type of insurance policy, and proof of no criminal record. He found out that working in this area is not specifically prohibited, meaning he has a chance to tap in on a potentially huge, undiscovered market.