Riders delightfully welcomed the new Tokyo taxi fare, which is fairly affordable for people who use cabs for short distances. Leaflets were handed out to the public to introduce the new fare system to interested passengers at taxi stands. Commuters, especially elders, were so pleased to know about the new and improved fare system. The new fare for the first 1.052 kilometers is ¥410. It used to be ¥730 for the first two kilometers. Taxis have stickers of the new fare system in both English and Japanese.
This fare revision was set in motion to address the continuous plunge in the the number of taxi passengers. Taxi companies also hope to change the impression of foreign visitors that Tokyo taxi fare is over the top. Japan tourists grew by 21.8% in 2016 and the government hopes to even further boost that number in 2020. Taxi operators said that they expect an influx of tourists in the 2020 Summer Olympics, so they will work even harder to improve the quality of their service.
Vocabulary:
delightfully – in a very pleasant manner
leaflet – a piece of paper that gives you information
hand [something] out – to give something to each person in a group or place
commuter – someone who regularly travels between work and home
revision – a change that is made to something; the process of doing a change
plunge – to become lower in value or level very suddenly and quickly
influx – the fact of a large number of people or things arriving at the same time
True or False:
- Riders delightfully welcomed the new Tokyo taxi fare, which is fairly affordable for people who use cabs for long distances.
- Leaflets were handed out to the public to introduce the new fare system to interested watchers at taxi stands.
- Taxis have stickers of the new fare system in both English and French.
- The impression of foreign visitors is Tokyo taxi fare is over the top.
- Taxi operators said that they expect an influx of tourists in the 2020 Summer Olympics.
Express your opinion:
- What are your thoughts about the article?
- What are the common modes of transportation in your country?
- Do you think further improvement should still be made in your city’s transportation system?
- Is the new fare system favorable to you? Please explain your answer.
- Do you think the new Tokyo taxi fare system can be applied in all major cities in Japan? Please explain your answer.
Defend your argument:
- Riding a taxi every day has a lot of advantages.
- Living in Tokyo is expensive.
- “Life is like a taxi. The meter just keeps a-ticking whether you are getting somewhere or just standing still.” – Lou Erickson