While the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation (SICT) insists that no ride-hailing app is authorized to operate at airports, the Jalisco government has decided to take its own path. Governor Pablo Lemus Navarro announced to the media that vehicles from platforms like Uber will be able to pick up and drop off passengers without penalty at the Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta airports.
The governor stated in his address that neither the State Highway Patrol nor the Traffic Police will intervene against drivers of these apps. “If we want to be a first-world country, to host, among other things, the World Cup, we have to behave like one,” Lemus said. “In Jalisco, we are going to allow the use of these platforms at the airport and everywhere else, starting yesterday.”
According to the governor, Uber has a court injunction that allows it to operate without being stopped, and his government will respect that ruling. “If they do, it will be the Federal Government, and they will be responsible,” he warned.
A Call for a Level Playing Field Between Taxis and Digital Platforms
Pablo Lemus stated that his position is not intended to exclude traditional taxi drivers, but rather to establish fair competition. “We are asking for a level playing field, so that airport taxis, which have every right to provide service, can also compete,” he asserted. The idea, he explained, is for the user to choose the best option, as happens in “any airport in the world.”
Furthermore, the state government is seeking federal legislation from the Ministry of Communications, Transportation and Communications (SICT) to end the legal vacuum that keeps airports in a kind of “gray area,” where each terminal applies different rules to digital platforms.
Along the same lines, the Jalisco Ministry of Transportation (Setran) supported the governor’s position and asked the federal Congress to legislate to authorize app-based services at airports and ports throughout the country, according to UDGTV. Diego Monraz, head of the Jalisco Ministry of Transportation (Setran), noted that the arrival of the 2026 FIFA World Cup presents an opportunity to modernize tourist transportation: “It’s unacceptable that you can request a ride-hailing service at one airport but not at another,” he stated.
Monraz also warned that the lack of regulation has led to a “black market” for informal transportation, where some drivers pose as app-based drivers. “It’s very risky when someone tells you, ‘I’m your Uber, get in,’ and we don’t know if it’s a ride-hailing vehicle or an unlicensed taxi,” he said. The Jalisco proposal, in short, calls for clear, equal rules for everyone and sufficient modern and safe transportation services for passengers.
The conflict escalated after the Thirteenth District Judge for Administrative Matters granted Uber a permanent injunction prohibiting the National Guard from detaining drivers at airports, Milenio reported.
Lemus asserted that the National Guard committed to respecting the order and allowing the company to operate freely. “We can’t continue behaving like a banana republic,” the governor said. “That’s why we’re going to allow the use of ride-hailing platforms everywhere.”
However, the SICT (Secretariat of Communications and Transportation) responded firmly, stating that Uber is not authorized to operate at airports and that the suspension does not constitute a permit. In an official statement, the agency reiterated that transportation at airport facilities is governed by specific authorizations and that only taxis, tourist services, and federal buses are permitted.
Source: xataka
