Jalisco’s Transportation Department (Setrans) this week launched the first stage of its program to eliminate “mototaxis”—the three-wheel auto rickshaws that are used for short-distance journeys in metro Guadalajara’s outer suburbs that are poorly served by the public transport network.
By mid-2025, Setrans aims to replace all the mototaxis with small four-wheeled vehicles that have doors and other important safety features. After this deadline, all drivers will be obligated to have switched to the new models.
The unregulated three-wheel mototaxis operate in 66 metro-area neighborhoods, almost half of which are in the municipality of Tlajomulco. The remainder are in Zapopan, Tonala and Tlaquepaque.
Setrans Director Diego Monraz Villaseñor said Zapopan’s Solares and Valle Imperial neighborhoods will be the first to see the new vehicles in use. Zapopan city hall has promised to help the drivers with downpayments. The “ultra-compact” vehicles are either electric or gas fueled.
Mototaxis are one of the most recognizable icons of modern India, where they are the backbone of urban transit for millions of people and are commonly referred to as tuktuks.