Tokyo taxis begin 410-yen short-distance trial

The transport ministry has launched a trial in Tokyo offering a lower starting taxi fare to confirm demand for short-distance rides.Forty taxis are taking part in the test through September 15th. The cabs are offering a lower starting fare of just 410 yen, or about four dollars, which covers a little more than one kilometer.

An additional rate of 80 cents is added for about every 240 further meters. The ordinary rate is currently about seven dollars for the first two kilometers. Fewer people in Tokyo are using taxis. Taxi companies have applied to lower their minimum fare by about three dollars to boost the number of customers. Ministry officials may revise the taxi fares as early as December, after studying the test results.