“Harrier”” and “”Alphard”” in Taxis? Why are sedans decreasing and “”odd cabs”” becoming OK?
Just a few years ago, the “”sedan”” type was the norm when it came to cabs
In the past, the classic 3-box “”sedan”” type car was the norm when it came to cabs that travel throughout Japan.
Recently, however, taller new cab cars, SUVs, minivans, and high wagons are also being used in cabs.
Why are so many different types of vehicles being used in cabs?
From the Harrier to the Delica D:5, these are just a few of the “”odd cabs”” seen in and around Tokyo
In some cases, Mitsubishi’s crossover minivan “”Delica D:5″” is used as a private cab in Tokyo [image courtesy of Nomura Taxi (Adachi, Tokyo)].
Cabs have a long history in Japan, dating back to 1912. Imported vehicles (and their knockdown counterparts) were the mainstay of cabs until the 1950s, when purely domestic vehicles were introduced.
Even with the arrival of the personal car era in the 1960s and the increase in the number of car body variations, the basic cab model was still a sedan.
Manufacturers continued to develop taxi-specific models for corporate customers, especially the Toyota “”Crown”” and Nissan “”Cedric””.
By the 1990s, cab vehicles based on the Toyota Corona and Nissan Bluebird, as well as the Mitsubishi Galant, Mazda Luce, and Capella, also existed.
The 1990s saw the debut of a number of vehicles that marked a turning point in cab history.
First, in 1993, Nissan launched the “”Crew,”” a small taxi-only vehicle. This was followed in 1995 by Toyota’s “”Comfort”” and “”Crown Comfort,”” which were developed exclusively for cabs, and the “”Crown Sedan,”” which was almost exclusively for cabs.
In addition, Nissan continued production of the Cedric (Y31 model, the “”Cedric Sales Car”” for cabs). For a while, this member was the main model of cabs in Japan.
However, production of the Crew ended in 2009, the Cedric in 2014, and the Comfort/Crown Comfort in 2018.
As of October 2022, you can no longer buy a new sedan-type taxi-only car.
Harrier”” and “”Alphard”” for cabs! Why are sedan cars decreasing and “”odd cabs”” becoming OK?
We spoke to a private cab driver who uses a “”minivan”” as his business vehicle!
Around 2015, however, there was a major change in vehicles for cabs.
In addition to hatchback minivans such as the Toyota Prius, Aqua, Toyota Noah, and Alphard, EVs such as the Nissan Leaf are now being used as corporate cabs.
In October 2017, the Toyota “”JPN TAXI””, a tall sliding-door type cab car, was also introduced, and is rapidly becoming popular, especially among corporate cabs.
The Mitsubishi “”Delica D:5″” used by Mr. Nomura, a private cab operator based in the Adachi area of Tokyo [image courtesy of Nomura Taxi (Adachi, Tokyo)].
On the other hand, even before the relaxation of the standards, private cabs often used luxury sedans as a means of differentiation in addition to taxi-dedicated vehicles, but since the relaxation of the standards, the freedom to choose the type of vehicle has further accelerated.
In central Tokyo, a wide range of vehicle types can be seen, including SUVs such as the Toyota Harrier and RAV4, Nissan Extrail, Honda Vezel, and BMW X5, and minivans such as the Toyota Vellfire, Nissan Serena, Honda Odyssey, and Mitsubishi Delica D:5.
Mr. Nomura, who operates a private Delica D:5 cab service operating in the Minato Ward area of Tokyo and other 23 wards of the city, said, “”We have a lot of customers with the Corona disaster.
With the Corona disaster, the number of customers was decreasing, and many times the sedans I had been using were being passed over.
The new Delica D:5 is a diesel-turbocharged vehicle that offers excellent fuel economy, part-time 4WD for stability in rain and snow, and a “”win-win”” factor compared to riding in a JPN Taxi. And since no one seems to use the new Delica D:5 as a taxi, we thought it would stand out and be chosen when waiting for customers in downtown areas,”” he says.
Mr. Nomura is also an outdoorsman who tows a camping trailer in his private life, and the Delica D:5, which is also good at towing, has been a big hit in both his private and public life.
Mr. Nomura says he is glad he chose the minivan, “”We introduced it in May 2020 at the height of the Corona disaster, and now sales have recovered to more than the original level.
Harrier”” and “”Alphard”” for cabs! Why are sedan cars decreasing and “”odd cabs”” becoming OK?
Deregulation”” was the catalyst for the spread of “”minivan”” and “”SUV”” cabs.
What made this diverse selection of vehicle types possible was the “”Relaxation of Standards for Taxi Vehicles (abolition of the following standards for passenger motor vehicle transport business vehicles with a seating capacity of 10 passengers or less, including cabs)”” promulgated and enforced by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism on June 12, 2015.
For a long time, cabs were mainly of the “”3-box”” sedan type [Photo: Nissan “”Cedric Sedan (Cedric sales car)””].
This is because, until then, the following standards were given to vehicles used for cabs
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1. standards regarding the dimensions of the seats
2. standards regarding the width and height of aisles
3. Standards regarding the size and structure of the entrance and exit
4. standards for cushioning devices, vibration caused by the seat to the passenger, gap between the seat and the seat in front, etc.
—–
These detailed standards have previously limited the range of cab vehicles available due to bottlenecks in interior space, rear door size, and other factors.
With the relaxation of the standards, not only the aforementioned models, but also compact minivans such as the Toyota Sienta and Honda Freed, and small high wagons such as the Toyota Roomy, are now available as corporate cabs.
Minivans, in particular, had to have some kind of second-row passageway to escape from the third-row seats in the event of an emergency, which made it difficult for them to be fitted out as cabs.
Since the relaxation of the standards, however, the use of commercially available second-row seats has become possible. As a result, the use of minivans with the convenience of power sliding doors and spacious interiors in cabs has increased significantly.
The advantage of tough, long-lasting “”taxi-only”” vehicles has been lost!
Then why were the standards abolished?
According to an announcement by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, “”In recent years, vehicle safety improvements and operational safety measures have progressed, and there are no vehicle safety issues in private for-hire transportation of passengers using private vehicles, many of which are regulations that are internationally unique to Japan.
Private cab using Toyota’s luxury SUV “”Harrier”” (previous generation model) in Tokyo
We asked Takashi Matsuda of Futaba System Corporation, which sells and installs cab meters, drive recorders, and LED indicators, about specific examples of this content.
First of all, the overall performance of cars has improved.
In the past, when overall vehicle performance was low and equipment was scarce, cab cars were uniquely designed and built to carry passengers and provide a high level of safety.
For example, in the 1970s, many cars did not have rear-seat headrests, but cabs did.
Nowadays, all vehicles have sufficient safety features, so there is no longer any need to differentiate them from regular vehicles, and there is no longer any need to create a separate vehicle specifically for cab use.
Other factors include the fact that, with the exception of Toyota, the merits of developing taxi-specific vehicles have diminished for all manufacturers, production of taxi-specific sedans has been discontinued, and the number of models available is decreasing, even for those who want to choose a sedan.
Mr. Matsuda also asked a simple question, “”Minivan cabs offer excellent ease of getting in and out of the car, but is there any advantage to SUVs with high ground clearance? I also asked Mr. Matsuda a simple question: “”Minivan taxis are excellent for getting in and out, but are there any advantages to SUVs with high ground clearance?
To be honest, getting in and out of a cab is not that easy. “”To be honest, getting in and out of a taxi is not that easy, because you have to lift your legs up to get in and out of the car.
However, SUVs have the advantage of a spacious interior, high load capacity, and good maneuverability.
Private cab owners who use SUVs often choose them because of their preference for practicality and driving pleasure.
Cabs add color to the cityscape. There may be many more oddball vehicles to come in the future.
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)”