The First Destinations Are Tokyo and Kyoto
Expansion to 12 Areas Including Osaka from Next Month
In Japan, where it has become difficult to catch a taxi due to a decrease in the number of taxi drivers, private car drivers have started offering paid transportation services called 'ride-sharing.'
On the 9th, the Asahi Shimbun reported that on the 8th, the first ride-sharing service in Japan was launched in Tokyo and Kyoto.
On the 8th, when the paid transportation service using private cars started in Tokyo, Japan, a driver is adjusting the position of a signboard indicating "ride share," which means "carpooling." [Photo by Yonhap News]
The Japanese government, considering safety, has mandated that general drivers provide transportation services as employees of taxi companies. Taxi passengers use a dispatch application to confirm their departure point, destination, and fare before using the service. Additionally, the government announced a policy that general drivers must be employed by a taxi company to engage in such ride-sharing.
Besides Tokyo and Kyoto, Yokohama and Nagoya are also planning to start ride-sharing services within this month. Furthermore, eight cities including Sapporo, Sendai, Saitama, Chiba, Osaka, Kobe, Hiroshima, and Fukuoka are scheduled to introduce ride-sharing services after next month.
At a press conference that day, Tetsuo Saito, Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, indicated the expansion of target areas by stating, "We will respond with full effort to promote utilization" regarding ride-sharing.
The Japanese government's move to introduce ride-sharing services is influenced by the rapid decrease in the number of taxi drivers. At the end of 2018, before the spread of COVID-19, there were about 291,000 taxi drivers in Japan, but this number decreased to approximately 232,000 by the end of 2022 due to reduced mobility during the pandemic. This means a decrease of about 60,000 drivers over six years.
Additionally, due to population decline and aging, the number of licensed taxi drivers in Japan has decreased, leading to social issues where tourists at famous sightseeing spots have had to wait a long time at taxi stands without being able to get a taxi.
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