Rising fuel prices are forcing Puerto Rico’s transportation sector to find new ways to operate more efficiently. Public and private transportation services face higher costs, and some operators are adopting fuel-saving measures to avoid disruptions and limit the impact on passengers. Taxi drivers, rideshare drivers working for platforms such as Uber and Lyft, and other providers interviewed said the situation is becoming financially unsustainable.
They called for alternatives to stay in business during what they described as one of the slowest periods of the year for tourism-related transportation demand. The private sector is considering asking for another adjustment to the fuel surcharge set by the Puerto Rico Transportation and Other Public Services Bureau. Juan de León, president of the Taxi Drivers Federation, said the latest adjustment lets operators add a fee of up to $3 to the fare when gasoline reaches $1 per liter.
He said it has brought some relief but is no longer enough. "The impact is still being felt. When the adjustment was established, the $3 surcharge began when gasoline reached $1 per liter. Now, prices have remained around an average of $1.16 to $1.20 per liter, and that is beginning to hit us again," de León said.
He called this the "worst" period compared with previous years and announced he will request another surcharge adjustment. Angelo Arroyo, spokesperson for the Colectivo Transportista Unidos, which mainly represents taxi drivers and other providers, said higher gasoline prices hurt the sector, especially as drivers compete with Uber and Lyft, which offer drivers lower fares. "This is not cost-effective for us, especially now that we are in the tourism low season," he said.