Mérida, Yucatán — The FUTV taxi union is on strike until 1 p.m. today as drivers form a caravan looping around the city.
Union officials decided against blocking roads, allowing students and workers to get where they need to go today. The plans are a sign of restraint after talk last week of a three-day shutdown.
Taxi drivers are angry that high-tech newcomer Uber has been allowed to compete with them in Mérida.
Today’s nine-hour work stoppage by more than 2,000 drivers began at 4 a.m., at Circuito Colonias Sur, and headed north up Avenida Itzaes to the Hidalgo roundabout. There, they will be joined by more drivers and head east along Avenida Colón, straight through to Pérez Ponce, south on Calle 50 — adding more drivers before heading past Parque Mejorada and Parque San Cristobal — and west again at Circuito Colonias, returning to Itzaes by the Sam’s Club.
Combi drivers will join the taxistas in solidarity.
Protests are being performed simultaneously in Campeche, Quintana Roo, Chiapas and Veracruz.
Other union members will deliver a list of demands this morning to Gov. Rolando Zapata Bello at the government palace. Drivers maintain that the government is not enforcing regulations that create a level playing field between taxis and ride-sharing platforms such as Uber.
The union leader promises a non-violent protest after at least two isolated incidents left Uber drivers bloodied.
“The message we want to give to the society is that we do not want violence. This demonstration will be trying to damage as little as possible,” Héctor Fernández Zapata said to Sipse.
