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10 taxi drivers attacked an Uber that was to pick up a passenger outside a hotel in Bávaro.
The taxi drivers here have always been referred to as a mafia type organization. Now with very few tourists and everybody looking to make money, it's probably going to get worse.
I hope the Uber driver is ok.
I hope the Uber driver is ok.
From an outside observer and possible investor about to travel to Bavaro, it's my understanding the Taxi drivers enjoy a monopoly and overcharge for their services. This tells me they want to keep it that way and another reason there needs to be competition. If they think that attacking tourists or their drivers will end well, it will only add to the widely circulated opinion that the DR is not only unsafe but lawless. 
taxi drivers are a hard working honest lot. To and from the airport your safety and security is guaranteed. They are excellent contacts as well.
You can't stop progress.
Same situation in Santo Domingo when Uber came, and now those same (a$$hole) taxistas work with Uber.
Same situation in Santo Domingo when Uber came, and now those same (a$$hole) taxistas work with Uber.
I doubt that safety and security can be 'guaranteed' for anyone anywhere in DR, but I agree that it's better to use a taxi driver working at the airport, he's been around for ages, everybody knows him, he has something to lose and no reason to mess things up. Most of them are old guys and it's much better to drive with them than with a young punk listening to a ghetto reggaeton in his car, who registered on Uber yesterday with fake documents and nobody knows what he decides to do when he sees foreigners who might have some money or expensive things in their luggage.
I remember hearing about similar issues with Uber when we visited London in 2015. I asked the Uber driver how things had changed, he was upset. He said that as a cab he could relax and just do a few fares a day and make good money, he said he makes more money with Uberbut he he had to be dialed in all day and couldn't relax and read a book while waiting to rip the next client off.
I think that says it all
and in addition to all mentioned above, it is not just about Progress and Competition and a Monopoly.
the aggressions primarily come due Unequal Competitor Conditions!!!!
I work myself on the tourism's private transfer and taxi service sector.
I know very well the costs we have for each vehicle and each driver to have all BY LAW REQUIRED papers and insurances and inspections etc etc always up to date.
a Uber Driver has nothing of that, Uber can register their cars/drivers for a extreme small fraction of what a legitimate Transfer and Taxi Business has as basic costs for permits/taxes/fees etc etc.
so, Yes, I am personally fully Against Uber, not to stop progress and a healthy competition is something I always plee for and which already exists, I am myself a full competitor to the established Taxi Mafia in the area, but there are zero agressions against each other, because each is going by the rules and laws which are the same for all of us competitors.
Uber does not have those costs/requirements to fulfill, hence we will not accept such unequal competition.
Now, would I stop or allow any driver of mine to stop a Uber driver or show any kind of aggression towards such driver?
of course Not, but the DR Governemnt has to bring the rules for taxi services and transfers Country Wide on ONE COMMON Law/Rules to play by.
Equal Requirements for all competitors.
Then the healthy competition will bring all around more constant Taxi fares to our visitors/customers.
as long as the government leaves this Unequl, so long such ugly scenes will continue to happen,
hopefully without any guests to get harmed.
the aggressions primarily come due Unequal Competitor Conditions!!!!
I work myself on the tourism's private transfer and taxi service sector.
I know very well the costs we have for each vehicle and each driver to have all BY LAW REQUIRED papers and insurances and inspections etc etc always up to date.
a Uber Driver has nothing of that, Uber can register their cars/drivers for a extreme small fraction of what a legitimate Transfer and Taxi Business has as basic costs for permits/taxes/fees etc etc.
so, Yes, I am personally fully Against Uber, not to stop progress and a healthy competition is something I always plee for and which already exists, I am myself a full competitor to the established Taxi Mafia in the area, but there are zero agressions against each other, because each is going by the rules and laws which are the same for all of us competitors.
Uber does not have those costs/requirements to fulfill, hence we will not accept such unequal competition.
Now, would I stop or allow any driver of mine to stop a Uber driver or show any kind of aggression towards such driver?
of course Not, but the DR Governemnt has to bring the rules for taxi services and transfers Country Wide on ONE COMMON Law/Rules to play by.
Equal Requirements for all competitors.
Then the healthy competition will bring all around more constant Taxi fares to our visitors/customers.
as long as the government leaves this Unequl, so long such ugly scenes will continue to happen,
hopefully without any guests to get harmed.
Tough guy eh? I would suggest that it isn't wise for any gringo to take on a group of Dominicans.
usually it is not wise for anybody to take on a Group oh heated up Nutheads,
specially as it is very well known that almost Every Taxi Driver in this country is carrying a firearm, aside of the usaual Machete back-ups.
indeed !! may as well tangle with New York Gambino family
I tried it once, only with my mouth... they showed me their Pistola ... I never tried it again ..
We are GUESTS .. not smart to think we can start isht ,especially when they are in a group .
If you are attacked ,then sure .. do whatever you have to do to save your life
but to prove a Point ? I know a few people it did NOT work out so well for ..
swallow your pride, and walk away.
Scot_ tosh seems to be either very young, or extremely naive to think he can play like that ..
Please, please, please invite me to when this happens. And don't forget to beak off while they clean the street with you.
If you can't invite me please have someone video it. At least we can show your relatives back in Scotland that you went down fighting like a little girl against the locals.
Seriously, they will beat your ass like you are a rented mule
Just wondering, so all the time Uber has been here it's been illegal (I know close to nothing about them and don't use them, just for reference...)
What MikeFisher says above sounds Uber is the problem, but from below quote, the DR govt is the problem:
"Abinader remarked during the signing that the violent events between these transporters have been going on for years “and it is up to us to resolve the situation”. “Uber has been operating for years without being able to register legally, something we have insisted on, and we are reaching that agreement,” the head of state added."
Quoted from here: https://dr1.com/wordpress/2021/03/2...and-regulated-tourism-taxis-in-tourism-areas/
As said, I have not used Uber, but my experience from tourist taxis here is not positive: Years ago, we spent a day in Playa Dorada and needed a taxi back to POP. There was a tourist taxi (white small van) near the shopping mall, and we asked him how much. The price was outrageous. In front of him, I called Tecni Taxi in POP to send us a taxi, which they did, but we had to walk all the way to the entrance, where they were waiting for us, as they were not allowed in there. The tourist taxi started swearing like crazy when we left and he realized he lost our business... This Tecni Taxi and for example Apolo Taxi in Santo Domingo had to be registered (I hope...) as they have central and all? Yet the pricing is something completely different than with these "tourist taxis" with Ministerio de Turismo sticker on them...
the taxis you mentioned and used are registered, operating legally.
why they have no access to certain areas, like mentioned Hotel Complex, is because the "Tourist Taxi" is a member of a Taxi association which pays a hefty monthly fee to that tourist complex, to be allowed to operate inside that complex, other Taxi companies, who do not pay that fee, are not allowed to operate on that private property.
it is the same here in Punta Cana(and elsewhere around the country), certain areas(Private Properties) get paid very hefty monthly fees to allow a certian company to pick up guests there.
that is, for example, the case at all Punta Cana Resorts. only one of the present Taxi Companies is allowed to pick up guests at the lobby of each hotel, the two big Taxi Companies here have the hotels split between them.
on the other hand, when any company is bringing a guest back to a Hotel, then the driver is allowed in to drop off the guests, independend to which Taxi Company the particular Resort "belongs".
and then there are numerous Full Tourist Transfer Companies, NOT organized in a association with any of the Taxi Associations, like Myself,
so we pick up and drop off guests at any of all resorts/hotels, of course including every airport of the country.
but you spend years to fight your grounds, show teeth and walk Forward when confronted, before you are accepted within this old fashioned Mafia System.
I went the whole 9 yeards plus a few extra feet during the last 2 1/2 Decades.
during the pioneer times back in the day, flying rocks into windshields of driving Vans and even fired gunshots, been the norm.
could write a book about my personal Taxi/Transfers experiences alone, lol
and that would not include the extra books about things like sinking and/or burning boats, even on calmest Waters and without any fuels on board, hahahaha.
the joys of pioneering a poor and uneducated region, I really don't want to miss a single piece of all the shi.it we experienced here during those times.
The Uber driver manned up and held his own but I think he knew the risk he was taking beforehand.
Uber needs to be held to same set of rules and regulated same as taxis are regulated because they
provide the exact same service.
why should uber be allowed to provide the same service of taxis while not having to abide by any standards?
uber is trash. hope the driver is okay, but also that uber goes away.
uber is trash. hope the driver is okay, but also that uber goes away.
I see the "pink shirts" daily. The mentality is still one of aggressive antics and intimidation. I do love how they claim to be "professional drivers", as they split lanes, have no clue about the right of way at round abouts, seldom use signals, and plant themselves in the left lane, regardless of the flow of traffic behind them. Although many places now have boards stating the rate between destinations (airport for example), I had some guests who were told by the driver that those rates are only suggested rates and as he is a VIP driver the rate was higher...lol. He was very intimidating to them once arriving at the resort. I mentioned to them that they should report him, but of course, they had no idea of his name. It is time for this dinosaur to become a mammal.