Delivery Riders’ Santa Fe Blockade Forces Talks on Cargo Plates
Motorcycle delivery riders blocked Avenida Vasco de Quiroga in Santa Fe over proposed cargo plates. Semovi opened a dialogue table on Nov. 9.
Mexico City’s Secretariat of Mobility (Semovi) set up a dialogue table on Monday, Nov. 9, with motorcycle riders who deliver goods through apps. The meeting followed a blockade that closed Avenida Vasco de Quiroga in the Santa Fe area, in the Cuajimalpa borough, and caused traffic problems for hours.
The riders are protesting a proposal for commercial cargo plates (placas mercantiles de carga) for the motorcycles they use as work vehicles. Drivers heading in and out of the city on the México-Toluca highway also ran into long lines, according to El Economista.
What the riders object to
UnoTV reported that the riders reject the cargo plates because they could raise operating costs and add paperwork for people who work through digital platforms. El Economista added that they also oppose a pilot program of commercial cargo-type circulation licenses for motorcyclists who use their bikes as a work tool.
In the riders’ view, these requirements would be extra administrative and financial obligations. They already must hold a motorcycle driver’s license and meet duties tied to joining the social security system, according to El Economista.
What Semovi says about the plates
The proposal is still being designed and tested, UnoTV reported. No final dates, costs or rules for applying the plates have been set.
El Economista describes the plates as a way to regulate delivery work and improve safety for riders and customers. Semovi said in a statement that the meeting would address the concerns of the sector and shape a strategy so residents have adequate services under conditions of safety, civil liability and mobility. The statement said the guiding aim is protecting the lives of people in the city.
Excélsior reported that the strategy is meant to put road safety and legal certainty first. The outlet added that talks between mobility authorities and rider groups often center on specialized driver’s licenses, certified protective gear, broad accident insurance and rules for parking or waiting areas outside businesses.
Where traffic was affected
The protest disrupted the Glorieta de Santa Fe (Santa Fe roundabout), Avenida Vasco de Quiroga and its intersections, and the area around Sam’s Club and Patio Santa Fe, according to El Economista. The México-Toluca highway had delays in both directions.
Reports differ on how long the blockade lasted. UnoTV said it ran for more than three hours. El Economista, citing a post by Semovi on social media, said the riders cleared the roads after almost five hours. Semovi added that traffic had resumed but that vehicle backlogs would remain on nearby streets.
Why it matters for Santa Fe commuters and delivery users
Santa Fe is a major office and shopping district, and the blockade hit its main road and the highway link to the State of Mexico. Anyone who orders food or goods through apps in Mexico City is also touched by the dispute, because the riders are the people who complete those deliveries. Excélsior noted that the growing number of delivery motorcycles has made this sector a priority in the city’s road safety agenda.
No agreement had been announced in the sources at the time of reporting. Semovi said it would keep seeking agreements that benefit the population, and it did not publish a timeline for a decision on the cargo plates.
Sources: Excélsior, UnoTV, El Economista
