Representatives of taxi drivers based in Chapala and Ajijic have come on board with local businesses and state agencies to improve customer services, including a commitment to make late night transport more accessible to residents and visitors.
The pledge was sketched out during an October 14 meeting between Guadalupe Laguren and Francisco López, representing 21 Chapala taxi units; Guillermo Martinez, spokesman for Ajijic’s 15 cabbies; Pedro Garcia Aguilar, lakeside’s traffic police commander; Hugo Pegueros, regional office chief for the state tourism department; and Ajijic restaurateur Sarielena Sánchez Reynoso.
In response to concerns Sánchez expressed on behalf of her night time clientele and staff, the taxi reps agreed to create a directory with the names and phone numbers of drivers who are willing to work the 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. late shift. The list will be provided to restaurants, hotels and similar tourist service enterprises. In addition, they offered to distribute copies of established government-approved tariffs for point-to-point cab rides.
At the going rate, drivers should charge around 40 pesos for transport within the immediate locality, 80 pesos to go from Chapala to Ajijic and vice versa, with a 10-peso surcharge for night runs.
Taxi stands located at the Chapala plaza (phone 765-35-11), and outside the bus station (phone 765-4697), operate with multiple drivers standing on call from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Ajijic’s taxi stand at the plaza (phone 766-0674), is fully staffed from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., with two after-hours drivers on duty until 2 a.m.