Riviera Maya, Q.R. — UPDATED: Nearly a dozen public transport vehicles were towed from streets around Cancun and Playa del Carmen Thursday. Mobility Institute officials were out inspecting buses and combis circulating on city streets in search of those charging illegal rates.
Operations were launched by inspectors in Playa del Carmen and Cancun at high-traffic points on transportation routes. By noon Thursday, the Mobility Institute of the State of Quintana Roo (Imoveqroo) had impounded 10 units of the 80 inspected between the two busy cities.
Rodrigo Alcázar Urrutia, the General Director of Instituto de Movilidad del Estado de Quintana Roo (Imoveqroo) said “these operations are being carried out in the different municipalities, and we will be dealing not only with the issue of unauthorized fares, but we will be vigilant about the safety of those who use public transport on a daily basis, and in general, that the concessionaires and operators comply with the law.”
He said several of the seized units were sent to a corral by inspectors for charging a fare of 15 pesos, five pesos above what is authorized by law, while others were towed for having units in poor condition and / or for not having a valid insurance policy.
Units were stopped and passengers asked how much they paid for their trip. Units that were found advertising the illegal pay hike scheduled to begin August 23 were emptied of passengers and boarded by inspectors who removed the signs.
Aside from having their vehicle towed, operators will face a hefty fine. The penalties for charging the unauthorized fare increase of five pesos range from 16,394 pesos ($850 USD) to 475,999 pesos ($24,500 USD) and could include the revocation of the concession (license) as established in Article 122, section X of the Mobility Law, he explained.
He said Imoveqroo is willing to listen to their demands, but not authorize a fare increase, especially if they go about it in this way.
“We are open to sitting down and discussing it, but an increase of this magnitude of 50 percent and in the way it is being done will not be allowed,” he said. Citizens with public transport complaints can contact Imoveqroo via WhatsApp 983 185 3403 Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
UPDATE: As of 9:00 a.m. Friday, four additional units in Cancun had been removed from circulating on city streets. Imoveqroo inspectors set up points early Friday in search of transit drivers overcharging city passengers. Bus company ADO provided bus transportation for the passengers removed from buses that were being seized and towed.
In a statement, Cancun Mayor Ana Paty Peralta reiterated that an increase in transit fares has not been approved. She was part of the inspecting groups out at busy bus pickup points around the city Friday. In a message she reported briefly, “this morning I led a supervision tour in the collection of the current rate in the public transport service.
“Four units from various concessionary companies were removed and seized for illegally applying a new rate. Transportation support was provided with units from the ADO company, to the affected passengers. The ReportaYAporta number 998 844 8035 was activated to report any irregularities with a WhatsApp message.”
She also reported that during the LI Extraordinary Session of the Honorable Benito Juárez City Council, headed by Ana Paty Peralta, a call was made to the concessionary companies of the Public Urban Passenger Transport Service in Cancun to insist that an increase in service rates is not authorized.”
The call was made after some public transport drivers claimed they were told by their bosses to apply the five peso rate increase.
