Latest news with #RoadTransportationLaw
Tokyo Weekender
12 hours ago
- Tokyo Weekender
Unlicensed Taxi Drivers Target Foreign Visitors at Haneda Airport
The number of unlicensed taxis at Haneda Airport continues to increase as drivers look to take advantage of the record-breaking surge in international tourist arrivals. The police are aware of them. Catching them in the act, though, is not so easy. A journalist from the weekly magazine Friday recently asked an officer why arrests weren't being made when it was clear that unlicensed taxis were operating there. 'To arrest them, we need to prove that they transported passengers for a fee,' replied the frustrated officer. 'In that case, we must tail the car, catch the passengers when they drop them off, and get the passengers to say that they paid. We can't do that on our own.' Unlicensed Taxi Driver Says Regulations Are 'Lax' The journalist also spoke to an unlicensed Chinese taxi driver, who was there to pick up a customer from Tianjin. He runs a restaurant but decided to start unlicensed taxi driving as a side job in 2023. He said he earns a monthly income of around ¥400,000 from the illegal activity. In the months around the Chinese New Year and the National Day of the Republic of China, he can sometimes earn more than ¥1 million. At the airport, the driver was asked to get out of his vehicle by an officer, who used a flashlight to check the inside of the car. Following a short inspection, the officer moved on to the next vehicle. 'If you say you're here to pick up a friend, they can't do anything more. The regulations here are lax,' said the driver, before heading off with his customer. Moving inside to the second floor of Terminal 3, the journalist spotted men in white shirts with signs in their hands that they never held up. The men, who exchanged brief words with each other in Mandarin, approached foreign guests coming out of the arrival gate. They then negotiated using a translation app. One couple was quoted ¥10,000 for a taxi to Ginza, which is around ¥2,000 more than a regular fare. White Taxis In February 2024, five individuals from China and Japan were arrested for operating unlicensed taxi services, targeting foreign tourists from Haneda Airport. They were accused of violating the Road Transportation Law. A Class 2 driver's license and a business permit are required to transport customers for a fare in Japan. Unlicensed taxis are known as shirotaku or 'white taxis' due to their white license plates. Commercial vehicles usually have green license plates. Related Posts Tokyo Sightseeing Taxi: Touring the City in a Variety of Routes A Guide to Taxis in Japan Need a Ride? Hop on Tokyo's First Autonomous Taxi
Yomiuri Shimbun
23-04-2025
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Unlicensed Taxi Operations Rampant in Mt. Fuji Foothills; Man from Tokyo Arrested by Yamanashi Prefectural Police
The Yomiuri Shimbun A private vehicle, which was allegedly used in the unlicensed taxi operation and confiscated by the Fujiyoshida Police Station A Chinese national from Ota Ward, Tokyo, was arrested on Tuesday by the Yamanashi prefectural police on suspicion of violating the Road Transportation Law by operating an unlicensed taxi service catering to foreign tourists in the northern foothills of Mt. Fuji. The arrest comes amid a surge in illegal operations of this kind in the region, coinciding with an increase in inbound tourism. Local taxi operators report a loss of business, highlighting the urgent need for effective measures against these illicit services, which have proven difficult to crack down on. According to the police, the 44-year-old suspect, claiming to be a company executive, allegedly entered into a transportation contract with two foreign tourists on Tuesday, transporting them in a private vehicle from Tokyo toward Oishi Park in the town of Fujikawaguchiko in the prefecture for a fee. The suspect has reportedly admitted to driving the vehicle but said he does not know anything about a contractual agreement with the tourists. Investigators in charge of cracking down on unlicensed tax services in the area grew suspicious of the relationship between the driver and the passengers, leading to questioning and the subsequent uncovering of the alleged illicit activities. The contract is said to have been that the man would transport them to JR Odawara Station in Kanagawa Prefecture. The police are conducting further investigations into the details of the alleged illegal service. According to local governments in the area, there has been a significant increase of foreign tourists visiting the park in recent years due to the panoramic view of Mt. Fuji and Lake Kawaguchi, consequently leading to a rise in unlicensed taxi operations. Similar situations have been observed around Arakurayama Sengen Park in the prefecture's Fujiyoshida city, popular for its iconic five-storied pagoda with Mt. Fuji in the background, as well as a nearby convenience store in the town of Fujikawaguchiko that offers a view of Mt. Fuji above the storefront. Concerns are mounting regarding the safety and reliability of these unlicensed services. Unlike licensed taxi drivers who are required to possess a class 2 driver's license, unlicensed taxi drivers may lack the adequate driving skills and knowledge on how to respond in the event of an accident. There have been reports of accidents involving unlicensed taxis and instances where legitimate taxi operators have lost passengers to these illegal services, causing harm to their businesses. A Yamanashi prefectural police senior official acknowledged the challenges in tackling the proliferation of unlicensed taxis. 'White unlicensed taxis are difficult to distinguish from licensed taxis, and even when we attempt to intervene, drivers often claim they are simply giving friends a ride, making it difficult to confirm whether a paid contract exists,' the official said.
