Pennsylvania

Japan Looks to Philly for Details on Uber, Lyft & Ridesharing Industry

For their first visit to Philadelphia, three Japanese researchers weren't seeking out the city's best cheesesteak nor stopping for snapshots at Independence Mall. Their three-day visit was a ride sharing expedition, gathering information on how Uber and Lyft operate in Philly and what officials back home should know before deciding if the peer-to-peer networks can operate throughout their country.

Japan's Transport Minister Keiichi Ishii told the Wall Street Journal earlier this year that "running the American-style service 'would be pretty difficult under Japan’s current legal system.'"

But the Japanese public remains interested in ride sharing, so the researchers, along with a translator and a bilingual consultant, were sent to Philadelphia, San Francisco, where both Uber and Lyft are based, and Austin, Texas, where the ride-sharing companies left the city after lawmakers passed more stringent regulations on the industry. The trip occurred over the same November week SEPTA dealt with a strike, Uber reported an increase in ridership and Gov. Tom Wolf signed legislation legalizing ride sharing services throughout the state. A separate team traveled to Paris, London and Brussels to gather details on the European version of Uber's services.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity since the Japanese government did not approve a meeting with the press, the researchers exclusively told the Philadelphia Business Journal they were drawn to our city because of the dynamic that played out over the past few years – ride sharing companies could operate in some parts of Pennsylvania, while they remained illegal in Philly.

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