The governor of the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, Mara Lezama, announced the introduction of a system of fixed tariffs for taxis at Cancun airport. The decision was a response to many years of complaints from guest countries about non-transparent prices and aggressive methods of imposing services immediately after leaving the arrivals area.
The main change — the appearance of an official price list, which will be posted right inside the airport terminals in all visible places. Passengers have the right to see in advance the price of travel to the main destinations: the Hotel Zone of Cancun, Puerto Morelos, Playa del Carmen, Tulum and other popular resort destinations on the Caribbean coast of Mexico.
In fact, this is an attempt to put an end to the situation in which the price of a trip depends not on the distance, but on the time of day, the passenger’s fatigue and his ability to bargain. The range of tariffs can be multiple: for the same trip, travelers pay 50, 100 dollars, or more.
Now the model must change. Fares will be fixed and mandatory for licensed carriers, and pricing data will be available before leaving the baggage claim area. In the future, it is possible to organize taxi ticket sales points directly at the airport.
At the same time, the authorities will intensify the fight against the so-called «piracy» taxi — unlicensed drivers who intercept guest countries and offer rides without clear rates and safety guarantees.
Let's be honest, we don't believe in the success of the reforms. Authorities have repeatedly tried to regulate taxi fares at Cancun airport. There is already an official taxi service with fixed tariffs, but it has a very limited fleet and availability, and its presence is more nominal to show, in other words, an alternative. At the same time, the taxi driver mafia at the exit from the terminals continues to show its impunity.
Despite the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup, the situation with taxi services like Uber remains uncertain, and they will not be able to operate at Cancun Airport in the near future. Formally, such platforms are allowed in the state of Quintana Roo. However, their work at the airport is limited by judicial and administrative prohibitions. The authorities, under pressure from taxi driver unions, are demanding that digital services provide additional security guarantees and compliance with access rules to federal transport zones. Formally, priority at the airport is given to taxis operating under a concession and paying the corresponding government fees.
This means that taking Uber from the city to the airport is allowed. But it is still impossible to call Uber directly from the arrivals area; drivers do not have free access to the airport area. Moreover, the appearance of Uber at the airport is dangerous for both the driver and his passengers: conflicts with ordinary taxi drivers often escalate into fights.
As a result, in 2026, the main transfer options from Cancun Airport will remain official taxis (allowed, now with regulated tariffs), pre-booked transfers, and ADO buses. The authorities are betting not on liberalizing the market, but on streamlining it. The tourist is not offered more choice, but only more predictability.