How to Ride the Taxis in Oaxaca, Mexico


 

Why are all the taxis wrapped in bows and ribbon today? There is a good reason. All the taxis are in a parade. it's a taxi parade!

Decorated taxis snake through the streets of Oaxaca because today is the official Day of the Taxi. The bows and ribbons stay on all day in celebration.

It's a perfect time to talk about how taxes operate in Oaxaca. 

Not all taxis are created equal in Oaxaca.

It took me a long time to figure this out. Many times I would flag down a taxi, give my destination and be told no. I didn't know why this was happening until the collectivos were explained to me.

What is the difference between taxis and collectivos?

Collectivos follow a fixed-route, most of them traveling from the heart of Oaxaca to the outer villages.. You can recognize them by their burgundy and white color. The regular taxis are yellow.

Are taxis safe in Oaxaca?

Taxis in Oaxaca are safe. Tourists towns must offer safety on their streets as well as in their transportation to maintain the influx of tourist dollars. Tourists take taxis around town and also to visit the artisan villages on the outskirts of Oaxaca. It is always a good idea to negotiate the price for your ride before entering the taxi.

Now as far as the driving goes, You can read about one of my adventures later in this post and decide for yourself.

How easy is it to hail a taxi in Oaxaca?

It is very, very,very,very easy to get a taxi in Oaxaca and this is an understatement.

Be aware that EVERYTIME you (a tourist) is seen by a yellow taxi driver who does not have a fare, the taxi driver WILL slow down, get your attention, and  ask you if you want a ride.

The frequency of these encounters becomes really annoying until……. you travel to another country or city and can’t get a taxi to save your life. Only then will you come to appreciate the availability of the yellow taxi drivers in Mexico.

The one place you can't get a taxi is the airport.

Taxis are allowed to drive people to the airport but they are not allowed to pick up people at the airport. To leave the airport you must take the shuttles supplied by the airport unless you have a private person retrieve you from the airport.

One thing that surprised us about taxi drivers in Oaxaca.

They don't necessarily know the location of all the hotels in the city. We're accustomed to taxi drivers in the USA where you tell the driver where you want to go and they find it on their own. 

We asked our taxi driver to move our luggage from Hotel One to Hotel Las Mariposas, a distance of 3 blocks. We told the taxi driver to take us to Hotel Las Mariposas and he didn't know where it was even though it was only three blocks north.

This isn't a problem when you come directly from the airport because you're taking the airport shuttle as they know the location of all the hotels.

My crazy taxi ride along the streets of the city of Oaxaca, Mexico

It happened when my friend Cameron and his partner, Jay, invited us to have dinner in another area of town. Buses go everywhere in Oaxaca but we decided to take a taxi.  The food was good and the company was great, but the taxi ride back home was terrifying for the pedestrians!

Pedestrians were cut off right and left even if they were in crosswalks. People were literally jumping out of the way to avoid getting smacked. I've been the recipient of this type of behavior from taxi drivers, but I think it's even more frightening being inside the offending.

Once you understand this one thing you'll feel confident riding in a Mexican taxi.

We discovered something very important that you need to know before you go to Oaxaca. As we were freaking out in the back seat of the taxi every time we came near a pedestrian our friends informed us that we do not need to worry about them because they know to get out of the way. The reason:

Not all countries mandate that pedestrians the right of way.

Did you know that? I had no idea. I’ve been wondering why I was constantly having to stop short in crosswalks to avoid being clobbered by a vehicle. Accustomed to the traffic laws in America where pedestrians have the right of way whether they're in the crosswalk or not, I've been stepping off the curb right into traffic not realizing I was taking my life into my hands each time!

Heed this warning: In Oaxaca, pedestrians do not have the right of way.

For more information about personal safety in Oaxaca, Mexico, read our blogpost Is Oaxaca, Mexico Safe?

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