On Nov. 1, the national government named seven cities and eight towns in the metro Fukuoka area as a “designated area” where it aims to reduce the number of taxis in operation. Local municipal governments and taxi associations will now begin to work on detailed plans for reducing taxis, but there are concerns about conflicts of interest, and no timeline has been set for when the plans will be completed. In addition to reducing vehicle numbers, companies are expected to adjust vehicle numbers operating during certain times and days of the week. If a uniform reduction rate is applied to all operators, smaller companies and sole proprietors fear they will lose out to incorporated taxi companies. Six other metro areas in Kyushu – Kitakyushu, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Oita, Miyazaki and Kagoshima – have already been named designated areas, but so far, only two have established committees to begin concrete discussions. Source: Nishinippon Shimbun 11/2
