OSAKA (Kyodo) Taxi drivers here are waging what is perhaps the nation's most intense battle to attract riders, even going so far as to discount fares at the expense of their earnings.
The intense competition is due to liberalization brought about by the revision of the Road Trucking Vehicle Law two years ago.
Liberalizing the taxi industry opened the way for increases in the number of taxis, but Japan's prolonged economic slump has failed to put a brake on the continued decline in the number of passengers.