UBER

Yes there is Uber in PV. Uber has been active in PV for over a year and in my many conversations with drivers it seems to be going well for the drivers, I’ve heard no major complaints. Of course there have been many complaints from the cab drivers who are just “confused” by the whole program. I had to take a taxi recently and when I arrived at my destination, he overcharged me and did not have enough change. Uber solves those issues while providing the ability to dispatch a driver to your location via your cell phone, without having to walk to a taxi stand.

The Airport: When you order an Uber at the airport you will have to go to the bus stop under the pedestrian bridge for pickup. Only federal (white) taxi’s are allowed to pick up from the airport.

It’s really not hard to find. Once through the main doors past customs and outside, turn left and walk to the end of the building. It’s about 200 ft. The cab drivers will have an aggressive sales pitch but just keep walking to the bridge. Once at the end of the building turn left again and you’ll see the pedestrian bridge and the bus stop underneath it. This is where your Uber will pull over. Be quick about loading, this is an official bus stop and not an Uber stop and the bus drivers do not like Uber.

As far as the passenger experience with Uber, there is simply no better way to get around PV. The costs are phenomenally low! A recent ride from Old Town to the Marriott, which is almost to the airport or about 13km, was $6.35 USD. A cab would be much more. The Uber drivers have all been extremely courteous, cars are newer models and very clean and all have air conditioning which is critical in these humid days of summer. Many taxi’s do not have A/C or if they do will charge you extra for it. One thing to keep in mind when ordering Uber, at least in the summer season, is that one will arrive literally within minutes of hitting the “confirm” button, so be ready to roll! Recently one of our followers (mcdaniel) told me that the driver even agreed to wait for them while they shopped. It can be a little tricky to use Uber if you are on a limited cell phone plan or can’t WiFi hot spot, but it’s still worth taking the Uber to your destination and a cab back if you must.

Tipping: Given how inexpensive it is, I always feel compelled to tip in cash even though Uber says it is not necessary. You can now tip in the UBER app.