• by Chuck Martin , April 22, 2019

Sony and five taxi companies in Tokyo have created a taxi-hailing service with automatic payments, much like the systems of Uber and Lyft.

The service, called S.Ride, allows consumers to summon the nearest taxi from within the largest taxi network in Tokyo.

After being hailed via the app, the pickup location is automatically adjusted and the passenger can communicate with the driver via text before pickup, if needed.

Passengers can pay via the Sony Payment Service or through an online service using credit cards, which Sony established.

“For all taxis, we plan to expand services such as supply and demand forecasting service using AI technology within this fiscal year,” Sony states in the service announcement. “We will continue to promote collaboration with partners who have strengths in various business areas, and maintain an environment where taxi operators throughout the country can use the services provided by everyone's taxis.”