business

Toyota's Japan Taxi becomes an expensive Olympic symbol

15 Comments
By Tim Kelly

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15 Comments
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Why didn't they simply issue a tender to the automakers listing the specifications and then select the best design? Isn't that how things are supposed to be done in a developed country?

11 ( +12 / -1 )

Hinomaru, like other operators, gets a transport ministry universal taxi payment and an eco-friendly vehicle subsidy from the Tokyo Metropolitan government. Combined, they cover most of the taxi's extra cost, Touma said.

Sloppy reporting again, only the reporter feels stating the actual cost of the subsidy is not necessary.

He doesn't know that the subsidies are funded by tax payers.

Wish I could receive subsidy to send my children to college and high school.

Capitalism, Take from the struggling and give to the haves

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Lots of strange criticisms in this article.

liquefied petroleum gas-hybrid taxi

LPG vehicles are very good for the environment, but most people can't own one or fill one up. Of course, they are not going to have scale-benefits for the manufacturer and will be costly to produce.

Hinomaru likes its Japan Taxis because they consume half the fuel of older vehicles and their anti-collision sensors have reduced accidents by 10%.

So the author thinks half the pollution and 10% fewer accidents aren't worth paying for? If a taxi does 500,000 km over its lifespan, wouldn't the fuel economy eventually cover the higher sticker price? You can't get half the pollution without using close to half the fuel.

Throw in the accessibility features and it sounds like you have a pretty good car. Accessibility is very much a work in progress, so you are not going to nail it in a single iteration. This is a much bigger issue for hotels.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

What the? 3.5 million yen??????????? No wonder there need to be budget cuts.

Whats the problem? These taxis are cheaper than a Yubari Melon.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Uber needs to come, taxi unions here wont all it, zaibatsu monopolies are hard to break here..

1 ( +3 / -2 )

It's time for Japan, Inc to parade their best. There won’t be another opportunity to boast as these two years where the Rugby then olympics will attract many. Wish them all luck.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I wonder what complex design made it unexportable? Is it the LP gas it uses?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

New York had something similar called the Taxi Of Tomorrow, it was rolled out in 2011 and all new New York Taxi drivers were required to buy this specific model from Nissan called NV200.

The Nissan NV200 ToT was configured similar to the Toyota Japan Taxi. But the New York Taxi commission reversed the mandatory purchase in 2018 and cap drivers are free to purchase whaterver vehicle they want.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Taxis in Japan. Expensive rides just for the sake of being expensive with no reason in sight for why it MUST be so expensive. Taxis are relatively dirt cheap in many other countries around Asia.

It MUST be so expensive because (shock, horror), Japanese taxi drivers live in Japan, not other countries around Asia. Do you expect your Tokyo driver to be commuting from Jakarta each day?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

THANKS to god, it is not Nissan. Every Japanese will be ashamed if it is Nissan. Gambare Toyota.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Taxis in Sk start at 3300won (300yen).

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

What the? 3.5 million yen??????????? No wonder there need to be budget cuts.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Taxis in Japan. Expensive rides just for the sake of being expensive with no reason in sight for why it MUST be so expensive. Taxis are relatively dirt cheap in many other countries around Asia.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

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