DiDi and SoftBank Establish Partnership in Japan to Provide Platform Services for Taxi Industry

Didi Chuxing, the China’s leading mobile transportation platform, and SoftBank Corp. (“SoftBank”) today announced the establishment of a partnership to provide platform services for the taxi industry. The partnership will utilize DiDi’s advanced AI technologies to build ride-hailing platforms to enhance efficiency for both taxi operators and drivers. DiDi and SoftBank aim to commence trial services in Osaka, Kyoto, Fukuoka, Tokyo and other locations within this year. DiDi and SoftBank also plan to set up a joint venture in Japan.

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Taxi services in Japan are known for high standards of quality. Both partners believe DiDi’s deep learning-based demand prediction and smart dispatch systems, combined with SoftBank’s local resources and expertise, will help Japan’s taxi operators further optimize taxi ride-hailing services and increase passenger convenience. SoftBank has consistently sought to bring cutting-edge technologies to Japan. This partnership between DiDi and SoftBank demonstrates one such effort.

DiDi and SoftBank will diligently study local market conditions and policies, and will actively engage with industry practitioners, policymakers and other stakeholders, with the aim of building an open and inclusive platform that will be available to all of Japan’s taxi operators.

From its founding as a taxi-hailing business, DiDi has been building up a one-stop transportation platform since 2012. In 2017, taxi drivers completed 1.1 billion rides on DiDi in China. Currently DiDi has established partnerships with about 500 taxi operators in China.