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Mi Taxi Continues to Replace Ticos in Lima, Peru

(LIP-ir) -- Director of the new "Mi Taxi" program, Álvaro Chirinos reported that approximately two hundred thousand taxi drivers in Lima and Callao work with a vehicle that they are renting from someone or from a company, meaning that 80 percent of the taxis running through Lima and Callao were rented.

In addition, Chirinos stated that taxi drivers spend from 40 to 50 soles a day on the rental of a vehicle, which considerably cut into their profits.

Mi Taxi aims to provide taxi drivers with their own, new vehicle while making it easier for them to make monthly payments on the car they will one day own.

After making a US$2,990 down payment, a taxi driver in Peru can purchase a new Chevrolet Corsa that runs on natural gas. Mi Taxi proposes that with the money saved by using natural gas, it will be possible for the taxi driver to pay the monthly installments the new vehicle will cost.

Chirinos mentioned that within the next 30 days, 150 more of these taxis would be handed over to taxi drivers in Lima, Peru.

Chirinos told the host of the Mesa Central TV show, "150 vehicles have already been handed over and are on the street today. Family incomes have improved by 100 percent. We have taxi drivers who are earning 140 soles a day with this system."

He also explained that the vehicles had been designed to be taxis and had reinforced suspension systems, channels for the installation of natural gas as well as other benefits. The program has begun in Lima, Peru, where there are 17 natural gas stations already running.

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# jamie says :
26 October, 2007 [ 08:56 ]

I knew there had to be a catch.  A Chevrolet?  Great, now they can just throw the car away after 6 months. What a piece of garbage. I would have expected a Japanese or Korean car, at least.

# Artur says :
26 October, 2007 [ 10:38 ]

Well don't be so negative about Chevrolets- actually Corsa is made and designed by Opel in Germany(in Latin America sold under Chevrolet brand), so it had a pretty good reliability rating- unlike most American made Chevrolets. Besides anything new is better then majority of Ticos and Corollas that have 500,000 or 1,000,000 kms.

# jamie says :
26 October, 2007 [ 11:01 ]

Thank you for the update Artur. I feel much better knowing it is an import. I like Chevrolet trucks - just not the cars. Chevrolet and Ford for many years decided that SUVs were the lucrative market and cars were just something they had to build in order to maintain a stake. High quality cars were never the goal, so I have little faith in them.

# Arnold says :
26 October, 2007 [ 12:07 ]

Peru's government has reported that these Chevies will be made in Brazil. Go figure.

# Splaktar says :
27 October, 2007 [ 12:13 ]

Good stuff.  The fewer Ticos the better.  Also the more taxi drivers who own their cars, the safer it is for everyone who uses them.  There are a lot of unlicensed taxi drivers who rent cars by the day and put people at risk.

# jimmyglen says :
27 October, 2007 [ 15:16 ]

now about the combi drivers ..........

# Robert Conant says :
27 October, 2007 [ 19:12 ]

Isn't Brazil world leader in manufacturei of alternative-fuel vehicles?

# Splaktar says :
27 October, 2007 [ 19:20 ]

Not sure about manufacturing vehicles, but they are a leader in producing ethanol which is an alternative fuel.

# F Y I says :
28 October, 2007 [ 07:14 ]

A United Nations expert has condemned the growing use of crops to produce biofuels as a replacement for petrol as a crime against humanity.

The UN special rapporteur on the right to food, Jean Ziegler, said he feared biofuels would bring more hunger. The growth in the production of biofuels has helped to push the price of some crops to record levels.

LP Gas is way cleaner, and cost effective, I hope this new taxi porgram works out for the the best.  And for the Ticos,, turn them upside down put 2 handels on them and you have a nice Wheelbarrow.