Taxi-sharing services app to be tested in Tokyo

A taxi travels along a road at night in the Susukino district of Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan, on Monday, Nov. 14, 2016. Japan’s economy grew more than forecast in the three months through September, as a rebound in exports compensated for continued weak spending at home by people and companies. Photographer: SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg

TOKYO: According to sources, Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism plans to create a system utilising a smartphone app to match customers looking for a taxi around the same time, whose points of departure and destination are both close.

Since the taxi fare will be split between the parties, they will be able to use the taxi at a lower cost. The ministry will conduct a demonstration in Tokyo in fiscal 2017 and start the service in fiscal 2018 at the earliest.