Uber Plans Taxi-Hailing in Japan

Uber Technologies plans to launch its first taxi-hailing pilot service in Japan that will connect passengers to other taxi providers, as it seeks to expand in the country where the US firm has been blocked from setting up its own fleet of drivers. In the coming months, Uber plans to provide its ride-hailing app to residents and visitors to Awaji, an island with a population of around 150,000 located near Osaka, to request taxis operated by more than 20 local taxi companies. The pilot will run through March 2019, reported Automotive News. Uber has been unable to bring its full ride-hailing services to Japan as local regulations outlaw non-professional drivers from transporting paying customers, but it already operates its UberEats takeaway delivery service in four Japanese cities, including Tokyo and Osaka.