SoftBank Group and China’s Didi Chuxing are teaming up on a taxi-hailing platform for Japan, becoming the latest venture to bet on a market that’s lagged behind the rest of the world.
Called Didi Mobility Japan, the business will start trials this year in Osaka, followed by Tokyo, Kyoto, Fukuoka and Okinawa, the companies announced on Thursday. Taxi operators will be able to track drivers and rides using heat maps, while passengers will be able to summon rides and rate drivers via an app, which will also offer Chinese-Japanese translation.
The app will also make it easier to pay for rides using Alipay and WeChat Pay, in addition to credit cards, the companies said in their statement.
Read Original Article
