Working with Leading Taxi Operators to Serve Local Residents and Chinese Tourists
Tokyo, April 24, 2019 – DiDi Mobility Japan (“DiDi Japan”), a joint venture between Didi Chuxing and SoftBank Corp., today announced the official launch of its taxi-hailing service in Tokyo and Kyoto. This marks DiDi Japan’s expansion into the three core cities in Japan following its launch in Osaka in September 2018.
With their vibrant combination of culture, nature and commerce, Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka are home to over 50 million people, nearly 50% of Japan’s population, and are popular destinations for the over 30 million tourists visiting the country each year.
DiDi Japan partners with leading taxi companies to improve taxi utilization and provide more flexible travel options. The company’s digital platform proves a powerful data tool for taxi operators to improve dispatching efficiency and expand user base. Since DiDi Japan’s launch in Osaka six months ago, the number of DiDi’s taxi operators tripled in the platform and the business has achieved 60% monthly growth. In March 2019, DiDi was selected as the taxi-hailing app with the highest user satisfaction in the Osaka area.
To encourage local residents and visitors to experience Japan’s world-famous taxi service in a new way, DiDi Japan will be launching new promotion programs including a booking fee waiver for Tokyo riders, and a Mileage Program for loyal riders. Passengers may also hail a DiDi Taxi directly from popular apps including Google Maps and Yahoo! Transit. The company is also exploring more diversified payment options through cooperation with PayPay, a leading payment app in Japan.
DiDi Japan is also attracting a growing fan base among Chinese visitors to Japan. According to the Japan Tourism Agency, the number of Chinese tourists traveling to Japan hit a record high in 2018, exceeding 8 million with a year-on-year growth of 13.9%. Existing DiDi users in Chinese mainland and Hong Kong will be able to hail a taxi in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka from their native app, aided by in-app real-time Chinese-Japanese text message translation and 24/7 Chinese customer support.
DiDi Japan aims to continue building relationships with local communities and helping more Chinese tourists to experience Japan by expanding into additional new cities later this year.
As the world’s largest multi-modal transportation platform, DiDi is also the largest taxi-hailing app globally, connecting over 2 million taxi drivers across China, Latin America and Japan.
DiDi Japan offers taxi-hailing service in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka
Greater China users can use the in-app real-time Chinese-Japanese text message translation to communicate with the driver
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About Didi Chuxing
Didi Chuxing (“DiDi”) is the world’s leading mobile transportation platform. The company offers a full range of app-based transportation options for 550 million users, including Taxi, Express, Premier, Luxe, Bus, Designated Driving, Enterprise Solutions, Bike Sharing, E-bike Sharing, Car Rental and Sharing, and food delivery. Over 31 million drivers have found flexible work and income opportunities on the DiDi platform.
DiDi is committed to collaborating with policymakers, the taxi industry and communities to solve the world’s transportation, environmental and employment challenges with smart transportation innovations. The company is working with a growing alliance of car industry players to build out a next- generation auto-solutions and operations platform.
DiDi partners with Grab, Lyft, Ola, 99, Bolt (Taxify) and Careem in a global ride-hailing network that reaches over 80% of the world’s population across over 1,000 cities. Currently, DiDi provides ride- hailing services in Brazil under the 99 brand, operates DiDi-branded mobility services in Mexico and Australia, and provides taxi-hailing service in Japan through a joint venture. By continuously improving user experience and creating social value, DiDi strives to build a safe, open and sustainable mobile transportation ecosystem.
For more information, please visit: www.didiglobal/news.
About DiDi Mobility Japan
DiDi Mobility Japan Corp. (“DiDi Japan”) is a joint venture established between Didi Chuxing and SoftBank Corp. in June 2018. By providing leading AI technology, we are committed to working with taxi industry to make mobility in Japan exciting. DiDi Japan is committed to providing an outstanding mobility experience to passengers and improving the efficiency of the traditional taxi industry. DiDi Japan will collaborate with local communities to build a highly efficient, smart and sustainable ecosystem in Japan. The company is currently offering taxi hailing service in Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto.
To learn more, please visit www.didimobility.co.jp
