Japan, with its wealthy customer base and megacities like Tokyo, should represent rich pickings for Uber. Given this, “when Uber tried to messily enter the market, no one wanted them”, Kawanabe, who is also chairman of the Japanese taxi federation, told AFP. Kawanabe also pointed to safety issues as being among the reasons Uber had not enjoyed the same success in Japan as it has elsewhere. Japan cannot accept this.”An Uber spokesman said the company’s priority in Japan was to “partner with taxi companies to get licensed drivers using the app to connect with riders”. “From the point of view of the Japanese taxi companies, you can only call them ‘devils’.”Read full story

Source: The Express Tribune December 18, 2017 07:07 UTC