Tokyo [Japan], November 18 (ANI): Japan is stepping up surveillance of unlicensed taxis on the Narita airport close to Tokyo as a spike within the variety of arrivals elevated the demand for transport, Kyodo News reported.
Transport ministry officers handed out lots of of fliers in English and Chinese to arriving worldwide guests in early November on the airport in Chiba Prefecture. They said: “Beware! Unlicensed taxis are illegal and unsafe!”The fliers urge individuals to examine the color of car license plates as licensed taxis have inexperienced plates or plates with inexperienced frames. Unlicensed taxis have the white plates of personal autos.
They additionally warned that passengers might not be lined by insurance coverage if injured whereas using in an unauthorized taxi.
Head of the transport ministry’s Chiba department workplace, Mitsuteru Yanase, mentioned: “To ensure safe travel, we want travellers to use (authorized) taxis and hired vehicles that are well managed.”Unlike abroad the place ride-hailing operators, together with Uber Technologies Inc. and Grab Holdings Inc., are broadly used, Japan in precept bans such providers that allow drivers of personal autos to function unofficial taxis.
Uber and different apps can be found in Japan, however they’ll solely be used to name licensed cabs, based on Kyodo News.
Recently, towards the backdrop of an acute scarcity of taxi drivers in rural areas and vacationer spots, calls to open up the market grew throughout the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, together with from former Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida additionally expressed willingness in October to handle the issue and vowed to debate permitting ride-hailing providers to function.
The transport ministry is, nevertheless, cautious and the taxi business stays against introducing competing providers, citing security considerations linked to the absence of guidelines on who can be answerable for car upkeep and checking drivers’ well being. (ANI)