Representatives of cooperatives and public transportation companies in the state capital defended the adjustment to the urban service rate, arguing that for more than 12 years the fare remained unchanged, despite the sustained increase in operating costs, a situation that – they claimed – caused a progressive deterioration of the service.
During the reading of a statement, Ubaldo Apodaca Hobart, secretary of the Board of Directors of Autotransportes Banderilla, explained that since 2014 the rate remained at 9 pesos, while items such as fuel, spare parts, insurance, maintenance and legal obligations registered constant increases, making the operation of urban transportation financially unsustainable.
He pointed out that the lack of updating did not protect users, but instead generated delays and wear on the units. Although he acknowledged that any increase impacts the family economy, he stated that the decision was made after analyzing the current economic reality, very different from that of a decade ago.
As a reference, he highlighted that the general minimum wage in Mexico increased around 368 percent between 2014 and 2026, going from 67.29 pesos to 315.04 pesos per day, which, he said, reflects a structural change in the economy that could no longer be ignored in the transportation sector.
In the statement, the transporters recognized the “firm and brave” decision of Governor Norma Rocío Nahle García, in addressing a problem that, they stated, was postponed by previous administrations and that led public transportation to a state of backwardness.
Likewise, they regretted that there are pronouncements against the adjustment from what they described as opportunistic and irresponsible positions, without considering the extraordinary effort that, for more than a decade, concessionaires and operators made to maintain the service without modifying the rate.
They warned that the announcements of legal actions against the adjustment represent a direct insult to the union, their families and thousands of users who depend on a functional service, while affecting both driving workers and the user population of Xalapa and its metropolitan area.
The concessionaires reiterated their commitment to the modernization of public transportation in Veracruz and expressed their support for the project promoted by the state government, which contemplates the incorporation of new higher quality units, similar to the “Ulúa” model, which in the capital would be called “Olmeca.”
In a subsequent interview, Óscar Luis Ceballos Ramírez, president of the Xalapa Urban Service, stated that the sector assumes the commitment to gradually modernize the units after updating the rate. He indicated that the number of new trucks that will arrive in the city has not yet been defined, although a first working group has already been held with broad participation from the union.
Regarding the metropolitan area, they clarified that the adjustment applies proportionally in Xalapa, Banderilla and Emiliano Zapata, as it is a conurbated region without clearly defined urban limits.
In terms of user service, they reported that training courses for operators on defensive driving and user treatment will be reactivated, in coordination with the Directorate of Public Transportation. In addition, they noted that the pilot payment program by card and mobile phone continues through platforms such as Mercado Pago, already in operation in various units.
Finally, in the face of possible citizen demonstrations, the transporters recognized the right to protest, but called for a comprehensive analysis of the issue, maintaining that the adjustment does not reach the level that inflation would mark—which would place the fare above 14 pesos—and that preferential rates for students and other sectors will be maintained.The positioning was supported by more than twenty cooperatives and companies that operate in Xalapa and the metropolitan area, which reiterated their willingness to improve the service and guarantee decent conditions for both users and workers of public transport.
