A new conflict has erupted in the tourist transportation sector in Baja California Sur, where transportation companies with federal permits and state-licensed taxi drivers are engaged in a dispute that has escalated into legal and political action, particularly at airports and high-traffic tourist areas in the municipality of Los Cabos.
The so-called tourist transportation companies—vans dedicated to transporting visitors—operate under federal permits granted by the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation (SICT), which, according to federal regulations, allows them to provide airport-hotel transfers and tourist services throughout the country.
In contrast, taxi drivers have state permits, regulated by the Government of Baja California Sur, which has historically granted them operational priority at airports, ports, and tourist areas, arguing that this is to protect local transportation.
The confrontation intensified after the Baja California Sur (BCS) government implemented measures requiring federal transportation companies to register on a state platform, report their trips, accept operating limits, and adhere to “seasonal” schemes, arguing that this would combat unlicensed operators and regulate tourist transportation within the state.
However, the federal companies reject these provisions, claiming they are illegal because—they assert—a federal permit supersedes a state permit and cannot be subject to local regulations.
The most recent dispute occurred on January 20 during an operation by state police near a hotel in the Cabo San Lucas tourist area.
During what was supposedly a routine inspection, a police officer chambered a round in his service weapon in front of the driver of a van carrying dozens of tourists, sparking outrage.
The alleged “intimidation” by the uniformed officer raised alarms among the transportation sector, who accused security forces of threatening to use firearms if they resisted the operations.
Representatives of the federal sector have denounced previous instances of harassment, detentions, blockades, and selective restrictions, pointing to alleged favoritism toward taxi drivers, some of whom—they claim—maintain direct ties to public officials or are part of local political structures.
They assert that these actions directly affect tourism, create legal uncertainty, and increase transportation costs for visitors, in addition to sending a negative message to investors in the tourism sector.
The conflict is primarily centered in Baja California Sur, one of the country’s most important tourist destinations, where the growth of international tourism has increased the demand for private transportation, especially in municipalities like Los Cabos and La Paz.
While the state government maintains it is seeking order and legality, federal transportation companies warn that this constitutes an overreach of authority that could lead to federal litigation and sanctions against local officials.
For now, the dispute continues without a clear solution, while tourists, tour operators, and service providers watch with concern a conflict that threatens to escalate and damage Baja California Sur’s image as a safe and well-organized destination.
Source: metropolimx
