Metro causing pain to taxi drivers

THE MUCH heralded opening  of the Panama Metro subway and its  pre-lection free joy rides is not bringing joy to Panama’s “no voy” specialists – the taxistas.

Passengers report that, whereas before they sometimes struggled to find a cab to take them to their destination, cab drivers now seem to be fighting for any business they can find, says La Prensa.

Taxi driver Oscar Herrera said he rents his car for four days and has been struggling to even pay for gasolina since the Metro started."I'm lucky if I can make $10," he said.

Orlando Orestes, a retired taxi driver, rode the Metro for the first time this week and reported that he was able to get to his home very quickly, as compared to previous experiences when he was unwilling to find a taxi driver who would take him there.

Other users have reported that taxi drivers are charging higher fees to take people to a Metro station.

One rider said that a driver asked for $4 for a trip that used to cost $2.

"Now, they want to be taxi drivers," said annoyed user Analida Chirú, who had trouble finding drivers who would accept her as a fare.

Taxi drivers are saying that they expect business to resume once the government starts charging to ride the Metro.