Sony has recently launched a taxi-hailing service in Tokyo. Minna no Taxi’s S.Ride app is available to use from today and lets users flag down regular taxis; payment can be handled with cash, credit card, or through a QR code-powered digital wallet.
The S in S.Ride doesn’t stand for Sony, as you might think a press release describes the service as “simple, smart, and speedy.” The name can also be read as a pun of sorts, as the app’s UI is based around a sliding gesture. Sony says S.Ride uses AI technology to predict where demand will be highest and dispatch drivers accordingly.
Minna no Taxi Corporation was formed last year by Sony Payment Services, Sony Corp. itself, and six taxi companies, although only five are mentioned in today’s press release. That includes Daiwa and Kokusai, two of Tokyo’s biggest operators, and Sony says the total size of the fleet will exceed 10,000 cars.
