Angry Guadalajara cab drivers staged a noisy protest outside the State Congress building Friday to demand tougher sanctions on drivers of private car companies, in particular Uber, who lack official operating permits.
The taxi drivers blocked streets with their yellow cabs for over an hour as they aired their grievances over the fierce competition that Uber and other firms now represent.
Protestors shouted “Fuera Uber” (Uber Out), as they called on lawmakers to crack down on what they refer to as “pirate” taxis.
Representatives of the cab drivers later met with legislator Martin Lopez Cedillo, the head of Congress’ Transportation Committee, who promised to analyze the situation and see what steps can be taken to ensure laws are correctly applied. The taxi drivers say Uber cars that operate without permits should be removed from circulation rather than simply receive a fine.
Taxi union leader Ramon Aviña Gutierrez noted that the government of Queretero has managed to ban Uber and urged Jalisco authorities to take similar “decisive action.”
San Francisco-based Uber has grown rapidly in major cities around the world after tapping into the digital technology boom. Uber’s mobile app allows potential passengers with smartphones to submit a trip request which is then routed to Uber drivers using their own cars.
There seems to be a general consensus in Guadalajara, especially among younger consumers, that Uber offers a cheaper, safer and more pleasant service than the standard yellow cabs.
The rise of Uber in Guadalajara has led to several violent incidents involving drivers. Scuffles broke out outside Expo Guadalajara last week when yellow cab drivers spotted Uber cars hanging around waiting for calls from clients emerging from the events center.
“Our patience is running out,” one driver said. “We see them with their phones in their hands waiting to be assigned passengers … if the government won’t do anything about we will take matters into our own hands.”
Reports indicate that the cabbies surrounded several Uber cars, pounding on the windows and hurling abuse at the drivers.
Meanwhile, supporters of Uber have started a petition on Change.org to repudiate the actions of the established cab drivers. The petition, addressed to Jalisco Governor Aristoteles Sandoval, catalogs the yellow cab drivers’ many failings, including their frequent refusal to use taximeters, price gouging, badly maintained cars, lack of knowledge of the city and rudeness.
Uber issued a statement saying the company condemned acts of intimidation and violence against “people trying to earn an honest living offering a transportation option that is valued by Tapatios.”