Companies offering ride-hailing services on motorcycles could face legal action, Mexico City authorities announced shortly after a crash resulted in the death of a passenger Wednesday morning. 

The fatal accident occurred on the Paseo de la Reforma, a principal thoroughfare in downtown Mexico City, when the driver of the motorcycle apparently lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a tree in the median. 

The city’s Mobility Ministry (Semovi) released a statement on social media in response to the fatal accident, saying the motorcycle driver had been apprehended.

Critics immediately railed against the authorities for failing to act sooner, pointing out that — as Semovi affirmed in its statement — motorcycle ride-sharing is prohibited by law.

“These motorcycle applications have been around for months and you are just now going to take action,” responded an X user named Sury. 

Another respondent complained that city authorities frequently suspend and sanction bus companies that violate laws, but never take action against ride-hailing companies.

The newspaper La Jornada reported that the motorcycle driver was employed by the Chinese ride-hailing app DiDi, which is Uber’s main competition in Mexico City.

Although Semovi insisted in its statement that it is “committed to making sure that public transportation options are safe and reliable,” motorcycle rides have been openly available on ride-hailing apps in Mexico City for more than a year.

The magazine Proceso pointed out that city authorities were blocked from taking legal action when a federal judge ruled earlier this month that the services were private, not public.

Semovi said it is difficult to determine if a motorcycle is offering ride-sharing services since they don’t display company logos.

Colombian firm Picap was the first company to offer motorcycle passenger services in Mexico City, according to the newspaper La Prensa. The newspaper Milenio reported that it had been operating in the capital since before September 2024.

In June, marketing magazine Merca 2.0 reported that Uber Moto was operating in 25 Mexican cities, including the capital, where demand had increased eight-fold since Uber began offering the motorcycle service.

Last year, Uber spokesman Esteban Illades promoted Uber Moto as a system that “offers more reliable and accessible solutions to all its residents.”

None of the motorcycle ride-sharing companies have issued a statement since the accident.

With reports from La Jornada and El Universal