Costa Rica News – Taxi and Uber drivers face similar hardships. Carriers from both sides experience high competition, debt, long strenuous days and deteriorating health.
The supply of drivers is up 80% in just three years.
Taxi drivers in San Jose report waiting up to an hour in line to get a passenger and sometimes the ride is short and they make only the base fare. Some cannot afford to keep working like this and return their taxi concessions.
Uber drivers are often using cars they rent at extremely high prices. They work all morning just to pay for the rent and then in the afternoon to pay the gas. Only what they make later on in a 16 hour shift is earnings. Some work in Uber after a full day at another job. Some have had accidents from the fatigue.
One driver reports that it is impossible to support his family no matter how many hours he works. He is planning to travel to the USA soon to look for higher paying work even though it will separate him from his family.
