Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe noted at the 24th Council on Investments for the Future on March 7 2019 that the Japanese government is seeking legislation for expansion of ride-share services in Japan, speaking that it is necessary to review fare-paying transportation by private cars from user viewpoint. The effort will be included in the government’s Growth Strategy, which will be drawn up this summer.
The government’s initiative is inspired by the serious issue in car-dependent local regions, where taxi drivers radically decrease due to the aging population. The government is looking for a legislation opportunity in partnership between private cars and taxies. Prime Minister Abe said, “The ride-share service is expected to reduce budgetary burdens on local governments and to benefit users in safe driving.”
