Taxis in Tokyo¡¯s 23 wards and its cities will increase their fares by around 10%, partly to raise income for taxi drivers.
The transportation ministry submitted plans to a consumers¡¯ committee under the Cabinet Office meeting on Wednesday to increase overall revenue by an estimated 10.14%. One revision will shorten the distance that passengers can travel with the ?500 ($3.15) base fare, so what used to be 1.096 kilometers will go down to 1 km.
The additional fare on Tokyo taxis is currently ?100 for every 255 meters thereafter, but this will also be shortened to 232 m. When a taxi is going at a speed lower than 10 km per hour ¡ª while in heavy traffic, for example ¡ª ?100 will be automatically charged every 85 seconds, down from the current 95 seconds.
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