Poppi Express: a new way to get around Punta Cana

 

Three-wheeled taxis Poppi Express offer a comfortable and affordable alternative to motoconchos and traditional taxis. With their low fares and comfortable seating, Poppi Express has quickly become a popular choice for tourists and locals alike since the moment they were introduced in the area of Punta Cana few years ago. These “motoconchos with hoods” are the favorite choice specially when it rains and you have no time to wait for the local bus “guagua“.

 

The mode of operation in terms of fare is intermediate between a taxi and a motoconcho, but, to use the service, there is more similarity with the traditional taxi, since you must call the central base and from there they contact the driver who is close to the requested place.

In relation to the various complaints made by users regarding the increase in rates, recently the company has developed an application (called Poppy Express) to offer their services in the tourist area. This was reported by Jaime Collins, in charge of the Poppis in this district, who claimed that the use of the app would represent a solution to this problem since the client has the established rates before starting the tour.

The company works in the district of Bavaro-Punta Cana from 6:00am to 10:00pm from Sunday to Friday and they currently have 12 vehicles in service, although they have a license to have 20. Poppis are not authorized to work on the Highway or at the Punta Cana airport due to their fragility and the risk it would represent.

 

According to the president of the Dominican Association of Tourist Mototaxis and Tricycles (Asomottoriodom), Alex César, the history of this transport began in 2020 when he introduced the first Poppi Express units in Higuey, with the name “Tri-Higüey”.

“For some years I had been checking that hotel employees got wet when it rained and they got dirty; I thought about economical transportation and after seeing that other countries and towns in the country used this transportation, I wanted to introduce it in Higüey,” said César.

 

Poppy Express arrived in Punta Cana one year later, in 2021, and even if they started circulating without all the permissions, now they are fully licensed and a new reality in the Punta Cana Transportation panorama.