[MK Group] A 19-year-old driver aiming to become the youngest “tourist driver” at MK Taxi is studying tourism knowledge and tourist information
*MK Group*
Press release: August 19, 2024
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A 19-year-old driver aiming to become the youngest “tourist driver” at MK Taxi is studying tourism knowledge and tourist information MK Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minami-ku, Kyoto City, President: Hiroshi Maekawa, hereinafter referred to as “MK”) has established a tourism ranking system and a tourism qualification examination as internal qualifications for employment in charter tourism operations. A 19-year-old driver who joined the company in April 2023 is currently studying to pass the in-house exam in September 2024. If he passes the exam, he will become MK’s youngest tourist driver. This is because the conditions for obtaining a Type 2 license have been eased due to deregulation.
background
The revised Road Traffic Act came into effect in May 2022, and the qualifications for taking the driving license test for class 2 driving licenses, large-sized licenses, and medium-sized licenses have been relaxed. In principle, you must be 21 years old or older and have acquired a regular license for at least 3 years to qualify for the exam, but if you complete special training, you can now be eligible to take the exam if you are 19 years or older and have acquired a regular license for at least 1 year. Every year, MK hires new university graduates and high school graduates as “travel coordinators” (hereinafter referred to as “TCs”) for hire driver candidates. Previously, high school graduate TCs could obtain a Type 2 license at the age of 21 at the earliest, but if they obtained a Type 1 license before they were 18 years old, they can become a taxi driver at 19 years old. The shortage of drivers is a big issue for the taxi industry, and the birth of young tourist drivers is a bright spot for the future as demand for tourism in Kyoto increases due to inbound tourism and other factors.
* What I learned about the job of a tourist driver after joining the company * *On my days off, I also study and visit tourist spots by driving* Moe Yamamoto
Moe) Employee was born in September 2004 and is currently 19 years old. Obtained a regular driver’s license while attending high school and joined MK Corporation on March 21, 2023. In May 2024, he obtained his Type 2 driver’s license, and in June he was assigned to the Kamigamo Training Center, where new employees belong, and while working as a taxi driver, he is studying to become a tourist driver. If you pass the tourism qualification test (tourism code test), you will become MK’s youngest tourist driver.
*Employee interview with Moe Yamamoto*
* – Please tell us about the background to joining the company and your current job – *
When I vaguely thought about what kind of job I could do alone that would be suitable for me, the idea of being a taxi driver came to mind. At that time, I gathered information on hiring high school graduates from several taxi companies, but MK was the only one that was recruiting under the conditions after the law was revised, so I decided to join the company because I thought they were focusing on hiring high school graduates. I did. Until I obtained my Class 2 license, I worked at a sales office managing drivers and vehicles. When the driver came back to the office, I heard him say, “We had a customer like this today,” and although I was a little nervous, I was also looking forward to it.
I started driving taxis in June of this year, and now I’m enjoying being exposed to values that I’ve never encountered before in my life, such as people of various age groups and people from overseas. We sometimes have people from other countries on board, and we appreciate it when customers have a translation app on their smartphones. I understand that during long periods, the cars can remain empty for over an hour.
Driver Yamamoto being interviewed
* – What do you keep in mind as you aim to become a tourist driver? – *
After joining the company, I learned that there was a job as a tourist driver. I’m currently studying for the fall tourism code exam. I read books on the Kyoto Certification Test, went to sightseeing spots that interested me and received leaflets, and although I used to do it indoors, I am actively increasing the number of opportunities for me to drive while also practicing driving and studying geography and tourism. I like Obaku sect temples, such as Manpukuji, and would like to show them around. I will do my best to study tourism so that we can have fun together.
Studying tourism in your free time at the office
Waiting position to greet customers in front of the vehicle
* – A word to high school students who are interested in TC – * I’m sure you’re a little nervous about jumping into this industry without much experience driving a car, but please do your best to pursue something that interests you.
* MK’s internal qualification “Tourist Driver Rank System” *
MK has an organization called the Tourism Division that is run independently by drivers at each of MK’s seven offices in Kyoto. Learn about tourism knowledge and customer service mainly through tourism knowledge courses for new drivers and by holding tourism field study sessions. Students take the tourism code exam twice a year, in spring and fall, to obtain a four-level tourist code: S, A, B, and C. At MK, you can only start working as a tourist charter business after obtaining a tourist code.
More than 500 employees have tourist codes. Among them, there are just under 200 S-rank drivers who are well-versed in tourism knowledge, and some of them have obtained Kyoto Certification Level 1.
*Travel coordinator aiming to become a young tourism professional*
Every year, MK hires new university graduates and high school graduates as “Travel Coordinator (TC)” candidates who are hire driver candidates. Kyoto is an international tourist city and is visited by many tourists from Japan and abroad. According to an announcement by Kyoto City, the number of tourists in 2023 will be 50.28 million, of which 5.36 million will be overnight stays by foreigners, a new record high. 810,000 students also visited on school trips. MK focuses on sightseeing chartered taxis and hire cars, and is working to enhance the experiential value of sightseeing in Kyoto. In recent years, we have been working to increase the number of foreign language drivers in order to respond to the increasing inbound demand.
As a TC, you will first work as a taxi driver, learning basic driving skills, geography, and MK customer service etiquette. At the same time, I will study tourism knowledge and foreign languages, and aim to obtain a C rank on the Tourism Code Examination in about a year. At the same time, students will gain experience in tasks such as driving large jumbo taxis, airport transportation, and providing sightseeing information for school trips. Drivers with excellent driving skills and customer service will be selected for the “first hire position” within their fourth year with the company. First Hire is MK’s highest service category and is responsible for transporting domestic and international VIPs and providing sightseeing assistance.
* A high school graduate TC with an annual income of 7 million yen at the age of 23 *
Those who join MK as a TC in April 2024 will have the opportunity to study tourism while doing office work such as order dispatching and office work at the sales office until they obtain a Class 2 license. After obtaining a Class 2 license, you will be assigned to the Kamigamo Training Center after a period of training. If you start working as a taxi driver, your monthly salary will be 300,000 yen, but there is no difference between a university graduate and a high school graduate. Some drivers who joined the company as high school graduates in 2019 were 23 years old and had an annual income of 7 million yen in 2023.
This is a position where it is easy to create a life plan for people who are conscious of safe driving and are willing to learn customer service etiquette and tourism knowledge, and MK will continue to focus on hiring high school graduate TCs.
Recruitment inquiries
MK Holdings Co., Ltd. General Affairs and Human Resources Department Phone 075-555-3132
Recruitment site https://www.mk-group.co.jp/recruit/staff/tc_kouho.html