Japan: Taxis denounce new regulations

Taxi drivers are concerned that new regulations for the industry in Japan could harm competition for drivers, therefore hurting service for passengers.

A local newspaper article cited the legislation meant for “normalizing and reinvigorating the taxi industry,” but argue the new rules threaten competition as they bar new entrants to the industry in certain areas for a certain timetable.

Further, the bill names various locations, including central Tokyo, that caps the number of taxis allowed to be on the road as the government has deemed the current number as excessive. The new law both reduces the number of taxis and limits taxi driver shift hours, the industry said, and allows authorities to sanction taxis that do not comply with the legislation.

Japan’s taxi sector was liberalized in 2002. In 2009 authorities called for voluntary reduction in cab numbers to curb excessive competition, though the measure was not enforceable.

Full Content: The Japan News

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