Tokyo taxis lowered fare

2017年5月4日

Intermediate

Pre-reading questions:

  1. How often do you ride a taxi in a week?
  2. Have you ever had a bad taxi ride?
  3. How does one become a taxi driver in your country?

People in Tokyo who love taking short taxi rides will enjoy the lowered fare. The initial fare for taxis in Tokyo used to be ¥730 for the first two kilometers. The new initial fare for taxis in Tokyo is ¥410 for the first 1.052 kilometers. The new fare system started in the cities of Musashino and Mitaka. An 85-year old Tachikawa resident appreciates this new fare system as this would allow her to move around Tokyo with more ease. She said it’s really tough for her to get to her destinations by changing trains on subways.

This is the first uniform reduction for taxi fare in Tokyo since 1952. It is difficult for taxi companies to lower their fare but they have to respond to the decreasing number of passengers. Taxi companies are hoping to increase the number of customers. The benefits of this new system will still depend on traffic congestion.

Vocabulary:
resident – a person who lives or has a home in a place
appreciate – to recognize how good someone or something is
ease – to make or become less severe, difficult, unpleasant or painful
destination – the place where someone is going or where something is being sent or taken
subway – a tunnel that people can walk through to go under a street
reduction – the act of making something smaller or less in amount
congestion – traffic jam; overcrowding

Comprehension Questions:

  1. What will people who love taking short taxi rides enjoy?
  2. How much is the new initial fare for taxis in Tokyo for the first 1.052 kilometers?
  3. Why does an 85-year old Tachikawa resident appreciate this new fare system?
  4. Why are the taxi companies in Tokyo willing to lower their fare?

Express Your Opinion:

  1. There are a lot of dangers in riding taxis.
  2. Riding taxis in Japan is for working people only.
  3. It’s more convenient to ride a taxi than a train.
  4. What would happen to your city if all taxis disappeared?
  5. What other skills do taxi drivers need besides driving?