Tokyo's Taxi Base Fare Downed to Yen 410/km

Foreigners touring Tokyo, watch out. Effective August 5, the base fare for taxi is experimentally Yen 410 for the first 1 kilometer. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport says it's a demonstration experiment to see if a lower base fare will help activate dwindling demands.

It's certainly an ambitious experiment at that as the new fare is down by Yen 300 over the previous Yen 730 - likewise in distance from 2 kilometers to 1. According to the new setup you pay Yen 410 for the first 1 km and Yen 80 for each additional 237 meters.

Why Yen 237, I can't say, but the new fare seems to be working rather well on the first of the experiment. A ceremony was held to mark the event at the East gate of Shimbashi Station and new-installed taxi stands attracted quite a few elders and officer workers. A 78-year-old male says it's handy for his short trip from here to the hospital on "a hot day like this".

Experimental taxi stands are also set up at Asakusa Station on August 18, at Shinjuku Station on August 19-September 1, and by the Tokyo University Hospital on September 2-15.

Altogether 23 taxi operators are joining with a total of 40 taxicabs to collect data on how it pays off. The test taxis are based on the pivotal points and are not cruise to for the moment, the ministry says.

Based the findings of this experimental fare change, the ministry will revise the fare rates earliest in December this year.

The taxi operators welcome the fare change this time around as the overall demand is dwindling, hoping the new fares will induce just-around-the-corner rides by the elderly and possibly foreign tourists just to get around point to point.

As I said, watch out folks. Bear in mind one kilometer is a little over half a mile. This fare change might come in handy for you - an economy too. (Nathan Shiga)