Okijimo Co., Ltd.
[Rideshare for women only] Starting from Okinawa!
Aiming for sustainable regional transportation by providing a “ride-sharing service that both users and drivers can use with peace of mind”
……
Okijimo Co., Ltd. (Haebaru Town, Okinawa Prefecture, Representative Director: Yuki Uechi; hereinafter referred to as Okijimo), which provides traffic information services to 300,000 drivers in Okinawa Prefecture, has created a ride-sharing service that both users and drivers can use with peace of mind. Toward this end, we will start a women-only ride-sharing service in Okinawa.
[Image 1: https://prtimes.jp/i/123391/3/resize/d123391-3-811b851f13e7682f9713-4.png&s3=123391-3-e0bad15ca468981f73702822205e9202-1920×1080.png ]
■Background of entering the ride-sharing business
Recently, due to mass resignations due to the coronavirus pandemic, the number of drivers has decreased by 20% (*Refer to research by the National Hire Taxi Federation), and the age group of taxi drivers with the highest volume is between 70 and 74 years old (*Refer to research by Nissay Research Institute) ) and supply issues, as well as a rapid recovery in inbound tourism and an increase in domestic tourism demand after the coronavirus subsides, the number of “migratory refugees” (those unable to get around because they can’t find a taxi) is becoming more serious, especially in tourist spots and urban centers across the country. .
In response to this, from April 2024, under the management of taxi companies, ride sharing by taxi operators (hereinafter referred to as the Japanese version of ride sharing) will be limited, allowing ordinary drivers to use private cars to transport passengers for a fee. With the lifting of the ban, there are high expectations for the use of ride-sharing systems to solve social problems.
On the other hand, the effective job-to-applicant ratio in the taxi/hire industry is 3.3 times the average for all industries (*Refer to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare’s “Employment Security Business Statistics”), and the current situation is that recruitment is not keeping up, so it is mandatory to have an employment contract with a taxi operator. There remains a concern that the necessary “Japanese ride-sharing” system will not increase the number of available drivers.
In order to survey the awareness of Okinawa Prefecture, Okijimo conducted a survey
(https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000002.000123391.html) with the Okinawa Prefectural Government regarding the Japanese version of ride sharing, and found that 47.3% of the respondents were Japanese. The results were relatively positive, including an interest in working as a rideshare driver.
In Okinawa Prefecture, the driver’s license ownership rate is high at 85.3%, and Okinawa Prefecture is a car society where each person owns one car, so they are “used to driving”, and the annual household income is 4.233 million yen. This is the lowest among other countries (*refer to research by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and
Communications), so we believe that this may reflect expectations for increased income from ride sharing.
Furthermore, when asked about “conditions considered important when participating as a driver,” “safety measures” was the highest at 68.3%, followed by “flexibility in working hours and income (58.5%)” and “high income (51.4%).” Therefore, it is important to develop these systems from the perspective of rideshare drivers.
Okijimo has been operating a traffic information service for drivers in the prefecture for 10 years and has always grown together with drivers in the prefecture, so we thought we should take the initiative in creating this system and decided to enter the ride sharing business.
[Image 2: https://prtimes.jp/i/123391/3/resize/d123391-3-3b33910d0f748b501b5c-1.png&s3=123391-3-83ce73b2f4e672d6681b44ea66f38d36-960×540.png ]
■Business overview
In overseas ride sharing, “women-only ride sharing” is being provided because safety measures for women and children have become an issue.
According to the results of Okijimo Research, women place more importance on safety than men (79.05% of women and 57.47% of men place importance on “safety measures” as drivers. (85.35% of women and 77.5% of men said they were concerned about safety.)
The volume demographic of Okijimo’s 300,000 users is women in their 30s and 40s, and we will start offering “women-only ride sharing” from April 1, 2024, with the benefit and safety of Okijimo users as our top priority.
▼Target
Driver: Women only
Passenger: Limited to women or children (men are also allowed if they are traveling with a woman)
▼Service details
[Image 3: https://prtimes.jp/i/123391/3/resize/d123391-3-d3c74a05a49f67fc4fe6-1.png&s3=123391-3-aa18d6f6701cf19dcb0e1d49ec359f74-960×540.png ]
It is not a “profit type” like the Japanese version of ride sharing or overseas ride sharing, but a “non-profit type” in which the gas and expressway fees associated with the trip are handed over to the driver.
People who want to ride along with the driver can apply based on the driver’s travel route, so there is no need for the driver to change the route to pick up a passenger or change the destination, reducing costs such as gasoline during normal travel. can.
▼Comparison with Japanese version ride sharing
[Image 4: https://prtimes.jp/i/123391/3/resize/d123391-3-98e5c4c258905595efd3-1.png&s3=123391-3-f43056a287b13023a6d8314ba9a4fad8-960×540.png ]
■Reason for adopting non-profit type
If the ban on ride sharing is fully lifted, ride sharing drivers will become an occupation as a gig worker, just like overseas ride sharing, and will be able to earn income freely and at their own timing, but there is currently no system similar to that in Japan. The only way this can be achieved is through a “non-profit” model.
We will provide a service similar to overseas ride sharing within the current system, and together with Okijimo drivers, we will consider how future services should be tailored to Japan.
■Future business development/goals
Initially, it will be “women-only” to ensure safety, but after verification, we will provide a ride-sharing service that can also be used by men.
A new theme park, “Jangria”, is expected to be completed in Nago City in a few years, but Okinawa Prefecture still has the worst traffic congestion in the nation, and there is a possibility that the traffic congestion will become even more serious. By promoting ride sharing as a new form of local transportation, we will be able to achieve efficient transportation by using cars that can accommodate four or more people but only have a driver, and we will also aim to alleviate traffic congestion.
In addition, although Okinawa Prefecture is not included in the target area of the “Japanese version of ride sharing” that will start on April 1st, we will continue to make proposals to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and the Cabinet Office transportation staff. We will do our best to keep you in the spotlight.
-Okijimo company profile-
Corporate name: Okijimo Co., Ltd.
Representative: Yuki Uechi
Established: December 27, 2022
Capital: 8 million yen
Location: 894-11 Miyahira, Haebaru-cho, Okinawa Prefecture
Business summary:
Traffic information service for drivers
Operation of ride-sharing services
Gig worker matching services, etc.
Website: https://okijimo.jp/
More details about this release:
https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000003.000123391.html