By Wendy Anders

Official taxis have seen better days.

A Costa Rica CID Gallup poll published today shows that official “red” taxis are the preferred choice for over half of Costa Ricans, but that Uber is chosen 3-1 over official taxis by those who have used Uber’s services at least once.

The 52 percent of those polled who prefer red taxis tend to live outside of the Central Valley metropolitan area, are over the age of 40, and have a high school education level, stated CID Gallup in a summary of the poll on their website.

Uber is the preferred taxi for 34 percent of Costa Ricans. Most of these respondents are young, have completed some university studies, and live in the capital city.

The reasons cited for choosing Uber over red taxis include the ease of using the service, Uber’s better vehicles, Uber drivers that inspire confidence, and Uber prices being lower, said the poll summary.

Those who chose red taxis as their preference said Uber is not always available and they don’t like having to record their credit card in the digital Uber system.

Nine percent of those interviewed chose pirate taxis and/or private hire vehicles as their preferred taxi service.

The poll was conducted in May of this year with a representative sample of 1,208 Costa Ricans over the age of 18. The study, said CID Gallup, has a margin of error of ±2.8 points and a confidence level of 95 percent.

Meanwhile today at 1:00 p.m., the Costa Rican tabloid El Diario Extra reported on a red taxi driver by the name of Arronis who allegedly ran over a transit police officer outside the Caribbean bus stop in San José and sent a Judicial Investigation Police (OIJ) officer to the hospital with a stab in the left arm. The driver was believed to be under the effects of drugs and/or alcohol and was brought before the public prosecutor’s office. False money and drugs were reportedly found inside his taxi.