San Miguel de Allende is a “gold mine” in Guanajuato for ride-hailing service Uber, according to the company’s Mexico communications director.

Saul Crespo told the newspaper El Financiero that San Miguel generates the highest average hourly earnings of any of Uber’s markets in the state.

It is also a particularly lucrative city for Uber’s drivers, he said, adding that 60% of journeys in the city are requested by foreigners.

San Miguel de Allende is a large expat hub and is also a popular tourist destination. It was recently ranked the world’s top city for the second year in a row.

Uber, the world’s most popular app-based taxi service, started operations in Guanajuato three years ago and now “directly generates 10,600 economic opportunities and helps transport 768,000 Guanajuato residents,” Crespo said.

He also stated that Uber has become one of the state’s economic engines, with a total of 14% of the state’s population either using the company’s services or partnering with it as a driver.

Apart from San Miguel de Allende, Uber also operates in Guanajuato, León, Salamanca, Celaya and Irapuato.

“It gives us a lot of pride to be part of the development of the state and to see positive results and to gain the confidence of Mexicans, Guanajuato residents and tourists,” Crespo said.

“Guanajuato has two of the most productive cities in the region, eight out of every 10 [Uber] vehicles in León and Celaya are on the road most of the time,” he added.

Crespo said that Uber’s goal is to continue growing in Mexico and to resolve the problems it has in some parts of the country.

Taxi drivers have protested against the company in several parts of Mexico, including Quintana Roo, where Uber suspended its services in April while the state Congress made changes to the Mobility Law before returning in May to more protests.

Source: El Financiero (sp)