Yet some fear that Uber’s rise in the country will erode such customs, and leave the country’s fleet of polite, licensed cabbies jobless.
“We are afraid of Uber penetrating the market, as at the moment we’re protected by the law, but we don’t know how that will change in the next few months and years,” Mutsuo Nakazawa, a 25-year long employee at Gojyo taxi company in Tokyo, Japan, told me solemnly over the phone. “We honestly don’t know how they will be incorporated into the existing taxi infrastructure.”
At present, Uber operates mainly in Tokyo. The ride-hailing app’s pilot program in Fukuoka on the northern shores of Kyushu island in Japan was deemed illegal in March 2015 by ministry official Hidetaka Sakai, who accused the service of letting drivers without taxi licenses earn money. This law means independent Uber contractors are banned in Japan; to exist within a legal framework in Tokyo, Uber currently partners with private hire taxi companies, marketing itself as a luxury service.
Uber might be yet to take the Japanese market by storm, but it’s making inroads. In May 2016, Uber collaborated with non-profit Kibaru! Furusato Tangocho and the Kyoto council to pilot a program dedicated to providing senior citizens living in Tango-cho (an area of Kyotongo city in Kyoto prefecture with few public transport options) a means of travelling around. The Uber Japan spokesperson was keen to clarify that the non-profit uses Uber's app to work with 18 of its own drivers—not independent contractors.
Back in Tokyo, Nakazawa fears that Toyota’s recent investment in the ride-sharing company might forecast greyer futures for the city’s taxi companies, each of which has its own school of thought on ensuring the best customer experience.
“In Japan, we place importance on both transporting the customer to their desired location and their overall experience within our taxis,” Nakazawa told me. “We really take the customer’s care very seriously—that’s where I think there might be a difference between Japan and other countries.”
http://goo.gl/JWNTrR
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GRANGETOWN
A taxi-driver was threatened with a knife by a passenger in an early hours attack.
Police are appealing for information after the 26-year-old driver was targeted on Tennyson Close in Grangetown .
He had arrived to pick up a fare at around 3.45am on Saturday in his blue Skoda Octavia.
A man got in the passenger seat, took out a knife and held it against the driver’s throat - demanding his takings.
After a struggle with the driver, the man left empty handed in the direction of St Patrick’s Road on a bicycle.
The driver sustained cuts to both hands as a result of the incident and needed treatment at hospital.
Anyone who knows the suspect, or may have seen anyone acting suspiciously around the junction of Birchington Avenue and Slater Road at around 3:35am the same morning, is asked to contact DC Mick Jackson on the non-emergency number 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
http://goo.gl/hlzpVp
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The Glasgow Taxi outing to Troon is a Glaswegian institution
The event which sees children, drivers and their taxis all in fancy dress, is a great Glasgow tradition.
The 71st Glasgow Taxi Outing was launched at Langlands Primary in the south side of the city today.
Two of the drivers dressed as minions and met up with some of the children who will be driven to Troon for a free day of fun on June 15.
There will be 150 drivers transporting 300 children and their parents or grandparents to Troon.
The children who attend have additional support needs and the event, which sees children, drivers and their taxis all in fancy dress, is a great Glasgow tradition.
Kenneth Warren has been taking children from Langlands Primary which is his local school for the past 28 years. And he says despite hard economic situations for some taxi drivers, there is still a lot of love for the outing.
And there is some competition between drivers and schools.
Kenneth said: "I just like seeing the weans having a good time. They love it and the taxi drivers love it too.
"And everybody loves the taxi drivers on the day in Troon.
"I'm decorating my taxi with inflatables this year. I will have penguins and kangaroos and all sorts.
"I haven't decided what costume to wear yet this year. I will have to go to the fancy dress shop and have a look.
"There are competitions for taxi drivers on the day - best dressed taxi and best costume.
"And there are competitions between the schools. Langlands were third last year and we're hoping to better that. We have 18 taxis going from here.
"It's harder now to get taxi drivers to take part. With the economic situation a lot can't afford to take a day off.
"Years ago we had to raffle the places for taxi drivers because so many wanted to take part. We don't have to do that anymore but there are still 150 drivers taking part."
Everybody in Glasgow knows about it and people come out to see us off.
Deputy head teacher Collette Gowing, has been at Langlands Primary for 20 years, and she thinks the taxi outing is a great event.
She said: "Every child in the school gets invited but not everyone goes. They go with their parents and grandparents. Not all them can take time off to go.
"We have a beach day here for the ones that can't go.
"I've been at the school for 20 years ago. I have went on the trip when the teachers used to go and it's a great experience."
http://goo.gl/5IB9Bz
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