Uber

[Cyrilo Croes]

Uber ?
Occasionally some guest ask me about Uber and if they may be over here in the future. Most likely not for here in Aruba all taxi licenses belong to the government so there are no taxi companies here on the island. In order for Uber to be able to operate here they would need a permit from the government and as to this the Minister of public transportation most recently stated that the government will not grant any permits to any foreign taxi companies who aspire to establish themselves here in Aruba including Uber. Moreover all taxi licenses are issued to individuals based on one license per person and no more than this. Even if a foreign company manages to establish here he would have to adhere to the fareslist issued by the government for this is a government prerogative and not of the taxi driver. As stated before all taxi permits belong to the government and the driver must renovate this permit every 4 yrs by undergoing e series of tests including physical tests, eyesight etc, etc and must also provide a clean criminal record. Individuals over 65 must undergo this procedure every year. The minister will sign and authorize the renovation if the driver has passed all of the tests successfully. In Aruba wherever there is a flow of people and a possible market for taxis including most mayor hotels, touristy areas, restaurants, town and the airport etc, etc there is always a taxi line to provide the service. That said there is no need for any Uber or any other foreign taxi companies here in Aruba. As a matter of fact there are at least 5 to 5 taxi base stations ( not companies) in Aruba working shifts with radios to provide the service for those who need a taxi and are not at a place where there is a constant flow of people or secluded places. In Aruba anyone can not be a taxi driver for the driver needs to have a valid official taxi license permit from the government and has to be in the possession of a clean criminal record in order to qualify to function as a taxi driver.

[WaltVB]

Thanks for the insight, a very informative post. We think the taxi system in Aruba works great and we've always had our request for a taxi honored quickly at any place we've asked for one.

[Pegmeister]

My feeling is there really is no need for Uber in Aruba. Taxis are readily available and fairly priced.

[B Likes To Travel]

No need for Uber. The taxi system works well.

[LisaGrn]

Agreed. I've always found the taxi drivers to be prompt and friendly, priced fairly and the cars to be clean.

[Arawak]

I've never had issues with taxis when going to and from a popular(or tourist) destination. For example the airport, downtown, noord etc. However, twice now i've dropped off my car at a body shop in Brazil and when calling a cab, both times none were available. I had to go grab one of the small busses, but of course, they were all full going towards Oranjestad. So I ended up waiting an hour for one I could squeeze into. The other time luckily enough I had a friend available to come pick me up.

As a local, me and my friends, who most of us have lived in the Netherlands, definitely do miss an uber type service because the taxi service is simply not reliable enough for us. It also dsn't need to be uber. The local cab companies can also update themselves to better represent the times. Create a local taxi app and make sure there are enough cabs to cover everywhere and not only certain areas at certain times. Many taxi's also do private tours, which I have no issue with, unless it affects availability elsewhere.

[cpjones]

I've always been amazed at how good the taxi system is....... well, I did have to wait a bit a couple of times for a 2 AM pickup after my casino fix!

[Andrea J.]

I don't like Uber or Lyft or any of the ride sharing.
Remember what our mom's told us.....................NEVER get in the car of a stranger.

A taxi, well at least they are regulated, licensed etc..
Aruba taxis are by far the best we have ridden in in the Caribbean Canada and Mexico.

[LisaGrn]

I'm glad to see someone else feels as I do about Uber, Andrea. My friends and co-workers make fun of me about that, but I'd much rather be safe than sorry.

[Aruba4ever]

I am with Lisa and Andrea on this one. I have used Uber before but only because I was traveling with a friend that uses it often. I would worry if my wife were using services like Uber....there are too many nuts out there!