Sony launches a taxi-hailing app in Tokyo • Hacker News Board

Re: Sony launches a taxi-hailing app in Tokyo

#71

Post by wiggler00m » Thu, Jun 20, 2019, 3:15 PM UTC

Grue3 wrote: post #70

Who needs a taxi in Tokyo anyway? Can someone make a taxi-hailing app for inaka (Japanese countryside/less populated areas). You usually need to call a local taxi company there, but it's difficult to get a voice call SIM card for a foreign visitor. If you could get a taxi at a precise point of the map without having to somehow call and explain your whereabouts on the phone, it would be nothing short of a revolution.

The voice call SIM card is relatively less painful to obtain now. Previously you couldn't get it on a tourist visa, but now you can rent them from the airport (expensive) or buy them at electronics stores like Bic Camera and Yodabashi Camera.

Re: Sony launches a taxi-hailing app in Tokyo

#72

Post by [deleted] » Thu, Jun 20, 2019, 3:17 PM UTC

magduf wrote: post #58

toomuchtodo wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

American here. What makes "suica" a superior contactless payment method? EDIT: Thanks for the replies! Seems it's a more full featured version of Chicago's Ventra card.

Lots of places in Japan don't take Visa/Mastercard, so it's either Suica/Pasmo or cash. There's tons of vending machines, for instance, but they don't take credit cards, but a lot of them do take Suica. Suica is basically a debit card; you put money on it (there's terminals at all the subway stations) and then spend it on the subway/train fares and also at other places that accept it, like vending machines, taxis, an…

[deleted]

Re: Sony launches a taxi-hailing app in Tokyo

#73

Post by luqa » Thu, Jun 20, 2019, 3:22 PM UTC

hi5eyes wrote: post #37

needle0 wrote: post #3

I've used JapanTaxi (mentioned in the article) a fair number of times, and while there's nothing wrong with the experience of the app, oftentimes the biggest competitor to these ride-hailing apps is the fact that Tokyo's roads are so densely populated with taxis cruising everywhere that it's often faster to just hail one passing by than to open an app on your phone. I feel the Uber service itself has a sort of a 'pre…

>Uber service itself has a sort of a 'premium' feeling around therein lies their brand proposition >I come into contact with the brand much more often from the context of Uber Eats. ubers worth is their international recognition as a premium service

In Europe Uber is known as a cheaper and faster alternative to taxis

Re: Sony launches a taxi-hailing app in Tokyo

#74

Post by Abishek_Muthian » Thu, Jun 20, 2019, 3:33 PM UTC

>Lyft has expressed an interest in Japan, where its investor Rakuten is a major name, but it has not expanded there yet.

Point to note, Rakuten owns Viber Messenger as well, so it could integrate taxi service on it for japan, though I presume that it doesn't have as much user base as LINE in Japan. Viber has larger user base overall internationally.

Re: Sony launches a taxi-hailing app in Tokyo

#75

Post by chrischen » Thu, Jun 20, 2019, 3:39 PM UTC

toomuchtodo wrote: post #57

franciscop wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Love paying with a suica for taxi and basically anything, I've stopped taking any taxi that does not accept it and I'm considering changing my laundry place just because of this.

American here. What makes "suica" a superior contactless payment method? EDIT: Thanks for the replies! Seems it's a more full featured version of Chicago's Ventra card.

It’s also the fastest of any contactless card I’ve ever used. Faster than Clipper, Taipei Metro card, and faster than apple pay. Even the iPhone integration is fast.

Re: Sony launches a taxi-hailing app in Tokyo

#76

Post by furyofantares » Thu, Jun 20, 2019, 4:28 PM UTC

Vizarddesky wrote: post #6

Doesn’t matter, nobody will use it. Taxi service in japan is good enough to where this won’t be a big factor. Ride hailing services are much more expensive than taxi’s.

Why do you suppose Sony apparently believes otherwise?

Re: Sony launches a taxi-hailing app in Tokyo

#77

Post by NovemberWhiskey » Thu, Jun 20, 2019, 4:32 PM UTC

discordance wrote: post #52

CPLX wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’ve only been in Tokyo once ten years ago but I remember the regular taxis there being staggeringly expensive. Are app based rides really more expensive than that?

400y ($3.68 USD) for the first 1km and then 80y ($0.74 USD)/400m after that.

Wow; that's really changed since I lived in Tokyo.

Back in 2011, it was 710 JPY base fare (but I think for two kilometres?) and exchange rates were also tremendously disadvantageous for anyone USD-denominated.

It was basically 9 USD to sit down in a cab.

Re: Sony launches a taxi-hailing app in Tokyo

#78

Post by glenneroo » Thu, Jun 20, 2019, 4:40 PM UTC

ginko wrote: post #11

odiroot wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are taxis there not trying to scam you as it is everywhere in the EU?

>everywhere in the EU I've never had issues with taxi drivers trying to scam me in Vienna.

I agree, except if you're getting a taxi from the airport, as plenty of drivers will happily add on 10-20€ to your price. I always recommend to visiting friends to shop around for a better price, or to just order online (google: taxi airport vienna and lots of websites will pop-up).

Re: Sony launches a taxi-hailing app in Tokyo

#79

Post by munmaek » Thu, Jun 20, 2019, 5:17 PM UTC

wiggler00m wrote: post #60

toomuchtodo wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

American here. What makes "suica" a superior contactless payment method? EDIT: Thanks for the replies! Seems it's a more full featured version of Chicago's Ventra card.

No Fees: Suica does not charge users merchant fees. Contrast that with a credit card, which charge fees as a % of transactions. Some credit cards with contactless functionality (eg. PayWave) charge a higher % if you use the contactless method rather than inserting or swiping. If you like money, well, you get more of it by using Suica. You do have to pay a 500 JPY deposit (refundable) when you first obtain the card. Y…

Suica was awesome in tokyo, but I wasn't able to use it in Osaka unfortunately. Other than that, I love it. I had the card originally but I switched to just using my phone.

Re: Sony launches a taxi-hailing app in Tokyo

#80

Post by franciscop » Thu, Jun 20, 2019, 5:22 PM UTC

magduf wrote: post #58

toomuchtodo wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

American here. What makes "suica" a superior contactless payment method? EDIT: Thanks for the replies! Seems it's a more full featured version of Chicago's Ventra card.

Lots of places in Japan don't take Visa/Mastercard, so it's either Suica/Pasmo or cash. There's tons of vending machines, for instance, but they don't take credit cards, but a lot of them do take Suica. Suica is basically a debit card; you put money on it (there's terminals at all the subway stations) and then spend it on the subway/train fares and also at other places that accept it, like vending machines, taxis, an…

Pro tip I didn't learn until embarrasingly late, they can recharge it in many (all?) places that they accept it, especially in convinis. Just say "charji" and give them money + tap it.