Uber users in Costa Rica can now request one of the country’s licensed red taxis directly through the app. Uber Taxi started yesterday with more than 300 taxi drivers already signed up to the platform. The service appears alongside Uber’s existing ride options, including UberX, Uber XL and Uber Comfort. Passengers receive an estimated fare before confirming the trip, while both riders and drivers have access to Uber’s more than 40 built-in safety features.
For passengers, one of the biggest differences is knowing roughly what the ride will cost before getting into the taxi. The final fare, however, remains subject to the official taxi rates established by Costa Rica’s Public Services Regulatory Authority (ARESEP.) The rollout follows a registration process that began in July, when Uber opened its platform to traditional red taxi drivers. Drivers joining the service must provide documents including a C1 driver’s license, a current Dekra vehicle inspection, their driver code from the Public Transportation Council and proof of insurance.
Uber said there is no limit on the number of taxi drivers who can join. The app, however, does impose geographic restrictions: taxi drivers may pick up passengers only in the province corresponding to their registered taxi plate. The nationwide rollout follows an earlier pilot involving Costa Rica’s official airport taxis. Uber began integrating the orange taxis serving Juan SantamarÃa International Airport into its app before expanding the model to the country’s red taxi fleet.
Uber has pointed to research from CID Gallup as evidence of demand for the service. The study found that nine in 10 Costa Ricans surveyed would be willing to use a traditional taxi if they could request one through a mobile app. Another finding showed that 60 percent considered uncertainty over the fare one of the main problems with traditional taxi service.
Laura Santillán, Uber’s general manager for Central America and the Caribbean, said the company sees the service as a way to give passengers another transportation option while helping taxi drivers connect with more customers. Uber also hopes the arrangement can improve its relationship with Costa Rica’s traditional taxi sector over time.
That relationship has been difficult for years. Taxi groups have repeatedly challenged the operation of ride-hailing platforms in Costa Rica, while taxi and tourism transportation drivers protested this month over the possibility of giving platform drivers broader access to airports.
Alfredo Román, president of the Private Technological Mobility Association, said similar arrangements between taxi drivers and digital platforms already operate elsewhere in the region. He said the system could benefit both passengers and drivers as long as participants meet the necessary requirements.
Uber is not the first ride-hailing company to put Costa Rica’s red taxis on an app. DiDi has offered its DiDi Taxi service since 2023. Uber Taxi is also available in markets including the United States, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina and Chile. Uber said it plans to interview participating taxi drivers to learn more about the group joining the platform. Early information from the company indicates that the taxi drivers are older on average than Uber’s other drivers.
For anyone who relies on taxis or ride-hailing apps, Uber Taxi adds another booking option while keeping trips within Costa Rica’s regulated taxi system and official fare structure.
