Amid a decline in the number of taxi drivers and an increase in demand for transportation services as inbound tourism rebounds, Japan is considering lifting a ban on ride-hailing services like Uber — but some are unhappy about the possible shift.
In his policy address before a plenary session of parliament this week, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said ride-hailing was on the government's radar. Answering questions in parliament on Thursday, Kishida described the lack of local transportation options and a dwindling number of people to work in jobs in the sector as a "severe social issue."
The taxi industry remains opposed to any reversal of the ban, arguing that allowing ride-hailing is just a temporary fix that will take jobs from taxi drivers without solving the core issue of a declining number of drivers.