No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeNewsCosta RicaCosta Rican taxi drivers strike (again) against Uber

Costa Rican taxi drivers strike (again) against Uber

Alajuela — As Uber drivers in the United States and around the world went on strike Wednesday to object against the platform’s wages and working conditions, a familiar outcry sounded at Juan Santamaría International Airport.

Small but intrusive protests held by taxistas — angered by Uber’s deregulated existence and its encroachment on their wages — disrupted traffic in parts of the Greater Metropolitan Area. 

At 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. by Costa Rica’s busiest airport, a group of taxistas, holding signs and yelling slogans, blocked traffic leading to the terminal from the highway. While the group was small, their discontent wasn’t. Most of those who flanked the doorway leading to the “arrivals” level had something, or more, to say about it.

(Jacob Spetzler / The Tico Times)

Roberto Quiroz, an owner of an airport-only taxi, said he hoped the protests would take place every day until the government acted on Uber. He voiced frustration about how long the disruptive platform has existed with little progress.

Uber started operating in Costa Rica in 2015 — albeit in a legal grey area — and their prices often undercut that of official taxis. From the airport to downtown San José, the price of a taxi can range from $30-$60, while a similar ride on Uber often sets a rider out less than $20.

(Jacob Spetzler / The Tico Times)

Though there has been dialogue on the federal level about legalizing and regulating the platform, so far nothing concrete has been accomplished.

According to Quiroz, a lot of the taxistas’s anger stems from the current legal framework that does not impose taxes on Uber drivers’s earnings. 

One of the two organizers of Wednesday’s protests, Miguel Lizano, said his wages had fallen 70% since Uber ride-sharing began in Costa Rica. He says the reduction in riders and the amount of taxes, insurance and fees a licensed taxi driver has to pay mean he can hardly make ends meet.

Prior to another planned march Wednesday night, Lizano said he hopes the taxi drivers’s message gets across soon. If it doesn’t, he says, he will continue to protest until their issues with Uber are addressed.

Trending Now

US Revokes Visa of CRHoy Owner Amid Fraud Allegations

The US government revoked the tourist and business visa of Leonel Baruch, the businessman behind Costa Rican news site CRHoy. Reports connect the move...

Nicaragua Says U.S. Seeks Venezuela’s Oil with Caribbean Warships

The United States wants to “steal” Venezuela’s oil reserves with the deployment of warships in the Caribbean, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega said Thursday. U.S. President...

Jane Goodall dies at 91 after transforming chimpanzee science and conservation

British primatologist Jane Goodall, who transformed the study of chimpanzees and became one of the world's most revered wildlife advocates, has died at the...

Costa Rica 2026 Elections Kick Off: 20 Candidates Vie for Presidency

Costa Rica's electoral season began yesterday with the Supreme Electoral Tribunal's official call for the 2026 national elections. Eugenia Zamora, the TSE president, described...

Panama Ranches Adopt New Measures to Curb Jaguar Attacks

An increasing number of farms in Panama are taking steps to reduce jaguar attacks on livestock, showing that coexistence between people and these American...

What Happens If Costa Rica Fails to Qualify for 2026 World Cup?

Costa Rica's national soccer team stands at a crossroads in the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. Fans across the country hold their breath...
spot_img
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica