Government's decision to raise Tokyo taxi fares is unreasonable, court says

TOKYO, Mar 07 (NHK) - The Tokyo District Court says the central government's decision to raise taxi fares in the capital is unreasonable as it forces taxi firms to raise fares regardless of their situations.

The transport ministry in November last year raised the upper limit of the base fare for standard-sized taxis in Tokyo's 23 wards and two adjacent cities. The fare went up by 14 percent to 500 yen, or about 3 dollars and 70 cents.

Officials say the increase is necessary for taxi operators to improve their services and working conditions for drivers.

Despite the change, two taxi operators, Royal Limousine and Japan Premium Tokyo, haven't raised their base rate, saying such a large hike could lead to fewer repeat customers.

They sought an injunction against possible punishments by the authorities, including having their business license revoked. ...continue reading

Source: ANNnewsCH

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