Commentary / World Feb 20, 2021
Flying taxis are an extremely expensive ride
by Chris Bryant
Despite their cost, air taxis could soon become reality thanks to advances in batteries, software and lightweight materials.
Business / Corporate Sep 10, 2018
Chinese taxi-hailing Didi app to debut in Osaka, possibly in September
A taxi-hailing service using a smartphone application developed by Chinese ride-sharing company Didi Chuxing Technology Co. will be launched in Osaka Prefecture, possibly this month. Taxi company Daiichi Koutsu Sangyo Co. and Didi Mobility Japan Corp., a joint venture set up in June by mobile ...
Business / Corporate Sep 6, 2018
Uber joins hands with Fuji Taxi, sealing first Japan deal under new, pro-regulator approach
The deal lets customers hail cabs using the ride-sharing firm’s app in Nagoya, the nation’s third-most populous city, strengthening its position in one of the world’s largest taxi markets.
World Jul 22, 2018
Gunmen shot dead 11 taxi drivers returning to Johannesburg from the funeral of a colleague in Kwa-Zulu Natal on Saturday, a police spokesman said Sunday. The drivers, who were members of the Gauteng taxi association, were in a minibus driving along the R74 when unknown ...
Business / Corporate Jul 19, 2018
SoftBank to test Japan ride-hailing service with China's DiDi Chuxing in autumn
by Kazuaki Nagata
The Chinese firm’s app will be usable in Japan, allowing tourists to pay using Alipay or WeChat Pay; Visitors from China dominated Japan’s tourism ranks last year, the firms said.
Business / Tech Jul 18, 2018
ZMP, Hinomaru Kotsu to test driverless taxis on Tokyo roads in August with eye to 2020 launch
Driverless taxis carrying real passengers will start nearly two weeks of testing on public roads in the capital next month with an eye to starting service in 2020, a tech firm and a major cab company said. ZMP Inc., a Tokyo-based developer of autonomous driving ...
Business May 31, 2018
Sony plans to launch 'Everybody's Taxi' dispatch service within fiscal year
Sony Corp. is moving forward with plans to introduce a taxi-hailing service in Japan, unveiling a joint venture with cab companies called "Everybody's Taxi." The electronics maker, which announced in February that it was forming the alliance, said on Thursday it will begin services within ...
Business May 23, 2018
Taxi! Tokyo prepares for Olympic tourism boom with accessible cabs and international drivers
by Jack Tarrant
Tokyo's taxi industry is undergoing some radical changes as Japan, already dealing with unprecedented levels of tourism, gears up to host two major sporting events in the next 26 months. More than 28 million tourists visited Japan in 2017 and the government has set a ...
National Apr 26, 2018
Government looks to relax requirements for bus and taxi licenses amid labor crunch
A National Police Agency panel began talks Wednesday to ease eligibility requirements for those looking to take tests for bus and taxi licenses, in response to chronic labor shortages due to Japan's graying workforce. The panel, which includes a university professor familiar with the Penal ...
Business Apr 19, 2018
DeNA and Kanagawa taxi group launch improved ride-hailing app to counter industry labor shortage
DeNA Co. and the Kanagawa Taxi Association jointly launched a ride-hailing app Thursday to efficiently match customers with taxies through an improved platform and an artificial-intelligence-based system amid a serious labor shortage. Taxi Bell, which can only be used in Kanagawa Prefecture, has solved some ...
Business Feb 20, 2018
Sony to form alliance with cab companies as Uber steps up Japan presence
Sony Corp. is jumping into the ride-hailing fray. The Tokyo-based electronics giant plans to form a joint venture with six taxi operators in Japan this spring, according to a statement Tuesday. The alliance comes as Uber Technologies Inc., the world's biggest ride-hailing startup, is in talks ...