Apart from the fact that the taxi drivers think they are 'untouchable' the only thing they think about is that 'one fare'...they would be more than happy sitting around talking with raised voices with their colleagues waiting for that one U$40 fare than doing Uber runs potentially making a lot more money through the week. They have to wait their turn to get the fare in the airport and I have seen them getting into heated arguments many times when one driver gets it wrong and thinks it is his turn....all the while arguing in front of the passengers. I am a very seasoned traveler having visited over 90 countries and have taken taxis in the majority of these countries but never have I come across such aggressive and unprofessional taxi drivers like we have here in the DR. Don't get me wrong, they are not all like that, I know some excellent taxi drivers on the north coast, but we all know what many of them can be like here!
- Thread starter Conchman
- Start date
POP airport Uber experience
Tourist taxis are simply predatory. The syndico is like a flat rock unable to move an inch on its own. There is no interest in change, no interest in better customer service and certainly no interest on the part of the drivers to work for their money. They like spending all day waiting their turn under a shade tree to make their "take" on one or two fares.
Occasionally the gaggle will descend upon a competitor trying to offer a better service or more reasonable prices and chase that driver off - then it's back to the shade to await the arrival of the next plane - all the while complaining about how expensive it is to send their kids to school, to maintain 3 phones with 3 different carriers and to share with each other the best ways to guilt even more money out of naive foreigners. Oh yes, and to complain to each other about the new services that would to do better than theirs if given half a chance.
Occasionally the gaggle will descend upon a competitor trying to offer a better service or more reasonable prices and chase that driver off - then it's back to the shade to await the arrival of the next plane - all the while complaining about how expensive it is to send their kids to school, to maintain 3 phones with 3 different carriers and to share with each other the best ways to guilt even more money out of naive foreigners. Oh yes, and to complain to each other about the new services that would to do better than theirs if given half a chance.
Since the police showed up, it looks like Uber drivers are not allowed by officials to pickup passengers at POP. If they are allowed, we should complain to higher ups and get this situation corrected.
Technically there is no law prohibiting Uber drivers but what's law and what is reality is very often different in the Dominican Republic (the lack of rule of law is what makes it a 3rd world or developing country to begin with). The taxi union has the ear and enforcement of the government via their relationships and basically, votes. The police will do what the taxi union requests. We had similar situations at our business where we wanted to get hotel guests to our establishment via buses and we were told that only taxis are allowed to carry people after 6pm. I kept asking for the law and even my own people told me it was law. After pressing I found its an 'unwritten law.' We went ahead with the buses after union agreed that they can take the people back from the establishment for US$6 fares (I think it was per person!) for a 500 meter ride. A few weeks later the new taxi union president said the agreement is no longer valid (just because he didn't like it) despite the agreement being with the union and not the president but hey, its the DR we can do what we want! We obviously disagreed and as the buses operated they started a blocking them at the hotels. We called Politur and a fight ensued when they did not remove the blockade. After pushing and shoving the police man, the uinon president got beat over the head with a flashlight and bled all over his shirt in front of shocked hotel guests. The next day there was a picture of him bleeding and quoted we (the 'business') caused this and people called the radio stations demanding that foreign companies like ours stop beating the poor local taxi drivers. Oh the fun of doing business here!!!!
There aren't many taxi drivers around to have this kind of clout. People should complain more and this will go away. This is bad for tourism, so it should be corrected.
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The power does not come from one driver, it comes from the union of taxi drivers and their votes, and the votes of their relatives. The proof is in the pudding, I have provided 2 examples of how they dont need to abide by the law, and have their own unwritten laws. Even the sub minister of tourism wanted to create a tourist bus system for tourists, and they burned his busses and I doubt anybody was even investigated for it. I know small hotel owners who had their Vans burned for picking up people at the airport. They are more of a mafia than a union, hence their power.
How many taxi drivers and their families do you think there are? A very small fraction of the population. Politicians and police chiefs would be the ones to eradicate this type of problem. People would have to let it be known to them that this problem will not be tolerated.
I'll put it this way,
The dr has a very, very efficient transport system........ and it has nothing to do with uber.
You can get from absolutly anywhere to wherever you want thanks to the collective transportation system. Motoconchos, carros publicos, guaguas, buses, taxis, etc.......
And its not as if the dr goverment set up this system, all they do is collect some pesos from it.
I do not doubt it took some very organised and intelligent men ( and/or woman ) to get this " system" up and working. And it works !! And there is no ( real) chaos .
Every driver pays a fee and/or buys his routa from a " union " ( motoconchos are a bit diffrent, but even they nowadays are in a " union " ).
So I can understand that, when, out of the blue, a buisness comes along ( uber or other ) and decides to cash in on what the " unions" built over the years, drivers get severly p.issed off. Its allready not a lucrative buisness, and we want even cheaper, lol........
If you dont like dominican airport taxis ( as i dont ), call your own, call a friend, or walk a couple of dozen meters down the road and take a guaguita or a publico to the nearest bus stop.
And guys, its not as if uber's buisness model only encounters resistance in POP....... all over the world taxi unions are against it ( rightly or wrongly, thats another story.
Oh and between conchos, publicos, guaguitas, etc...... there are dozens of thousands of union-ed drivers country wide. Plus their families, friends, and even just the poor souls that use them to get to and from work everyday. That is a lot of votes.
The dr has a very, very efficient transport system........ and it has nothing to do with uber.
You can get from absolutly anywhere to wherever you want thanks to the collective transportation system. Motoconchos, carros publicos, guaguas, buses, taxis, etc.......
And its not as if the dr goverment set up this system, all they do is collect some pesos from it.
I do not doubt it took some very organised and intelligent men ( and/or woman ) to get this " system" up and working. And it works !! And there is no ( real) chaos .
Every driver pays a fee and/or buys his routa from a " union " ( motoconchos are a bit diffrent, but even they nowadays are in a " union " ).
So I can understand that, when, out of the blue, a buisness comes along ( uber or other ) and decides to cash in on what the " unions" built over the years, drivers get severly p.issed off. Its allready not a lucrative buisness, and we want even cheaper, lol........
If you dont like dominican airport taxis ( as i dont ), call your own, call a friend, or walk a couple of dozen meters down the road and take a guaguita or a publico to the nearest bus stop.
And guys, its not as if uber's buisness model only encounters resistance in POP....... all over the world taxi unions are against it ( rightly or wrongly, thats another story.
Oh and between conchos, publicos, guaguitas, etc...... there are dozens of thousands of union-ed drivers country wide. Plus their families, friends, and even just the poor souls that use them to get to and from work everyday. That is a lot of votes.
Left Sosua several weeks ago for the airport at 5:30 am, I was told by the hotel manager to try a carrito at their station across from the Metro . So I offered him 300 pesos to airport and he could even drop me off at the outside parking ticket booth to avoid any issues with the taxi mafia. He laughed and said most are a sleep and you are paying a single fare which makes me as private as them. Strait to the departure sidewalk, and paid $6 plus tip and was happy he was right about no problem for him. After I left I saw him laughing and talking with the porters and 1 private taxi guy who just dropped of his fare.
Thats a good example and thanks for sharing..
But , I think GOING to the Airport is a lot different than Picking someone up at the Airport ..
IMHO, I think the taxi mafia considers those just arriving as the " lowest hanging, ripe" Fruit .. you are flush with cash, they assume, and they WILL push for max Pesos ...
I have also been dropped off in the wee hours for an early flight . and yes no one is questioing the person dropping you off ..
But Then have even a Close FRIEND with a Private car they own , come and pick you up at the Airport , any time , especially middle of the day.. they WILL get hassled .
just saying.
I am picked up EVERY SINGLE TIME... in my car by a driver....POP, AZS and SDQ
Never had an issue.....
Never had an issue.....
We’ve been picked up at SDQ each and every trip, for 42 years, and never has anyone ever been hassled.
Arrived in SDQ this month used Uber as always and never had a problem. Frequent user in STI and also never had a problem on too many trips to count. Only disappointment is no Uber in Punta Cana and I am forced to pay through the nose. Uber works great in the DR 90% of the time. The other 10% is dealt with quickly where refunds are indicated.