Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico - Mayor Arturo Dávalos Peña held a meeting Monday with representatives of the two main guilds of taxi drivers in Puerto Vallarta, in which they expressed their concerns about the potential entry of Uber, and stressed that their program to improve service is already well underway.

The mayor conveyed his interest in improving taxi service in general for the benefit of all Vallartenses. "We want good service... and that is your task," he said, stressing the importance of taxi drivers implementing more competitive rates.

Felipe Aréchiga López, general secretary of the Sindicato de Permisionarios Taxistas (Permitted Taxi Drivers' Union,) and Jaime Aguilar Mejía, general secretary of the Sindicato Único de Choferes Autotransportistas (Unified Transportation Drivers' Union,) explained to the mayor in detail the process of vehicle renovation that is well underway, as well as the taxi driver training and accreditation courses aimed at improving their service.

They also pointed out that they are working on the implementation of a digital platform to diversify the service and said they plan to go to the Jalisco State Secretary of Transportation to request authorization.

"What we can do is improve what we have, put it in order, because as a tourist destination we do not want mobility problems. Every city wants to have a better public transportation system and good taxi service; and you are in the best position to take advantage of the demand in Puerto Vallarta, which you can do by updating your cars and training your drivers," the mayor added.

Dávalos Peña reiterated that the municipal government is open to supporting initiatives aimed at benefiting Vallartenses, especially in the issue of modernizing and improving public transportation in the municipality. The mayor recalled that the process of modernizing the urban bus route was also detained, while users are still waiting for an improvement in this public service.