Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Japan News/Yomiuri
The Japan News/Yomiuri
National
The Yomiuri Shimbun

Tokyo taxi operator adopts L-shaped barrier for safety, better rider experience

This Nihon Kotsu taxi is equipped with a plastic barrier that makes it easier to hear the driver while preventing airborne droplets. (Credit: The Yomiuri Shimbun)

Major taxi operator Nihon Kotsu Co. is introducing a new type of plastic barrier for its fleet to prevent airborne droplets amid the prolonged novel coronavirus pandemic.

The Tokyo-based operator aims to protect passengers and drivers from infection by introducing an L-shaped barrier that encloses the driver's seat.

The company had been using a plastic curtain since May last year to separate the front and rear seats. Some passengers complained about it, however, saying the curtain made it hard to see through the windshield and to hear the driver.

In response, the company looked into a barrier developed by Sanwa Kotsu Group, a Yokohama-based taxi company.

As it is easier to hear the drivers with the barrier, which also allows an unobstructed view of the windshield for passengers, Nihon Kotsu decided to install it in all 1,663 vehicles in its fleet.

Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.