The Shocking Reality of Using ‘White Taxis’ Brokered by Booking.com【Report】

Upon arriving at Haneda Airport Terminal 2 on an international flight that day, the driver, aware of the author’s early arrival, directed to spot 19, which was, surprisingly, not an official taxi stop.

Indeed, instead of the designated taxi pick-up area, a white Mercedes-Benz was parked obtrusively on the third lane from the sidewalk, with its trunk open and the middle-aged driver looking around. That spot was, of course, a no parking area.

The car and driver were easily identified; greetings were exchanged after verifying the registration plate was not the green number plate reserved for regular taxis, but a white one, indicative of an illegal ‘white taxi’. The luggage was stowed by the driver and in no time, the journey began.

Although a ‘standard’ car was ordered, it turned out to be a Mercedes-Benz M-Class. The driver used a smartphone navigation app to confirm the destination and, speaking Japanese with a Chinese accent, decided to take the scenic sea route supposedly due to traffic.

The navigation app announced areas with speed cameras, while Western music played in the background, perhaps a driver preference. The dashboard was adorned with chick figures and other decorations, which, although distracting, are not uncommon for those accustomed to ride-booking apps abroad.

Conversation with the driver revealed he was willing to travel to any airport including Haneda or Narita. Due to the scenario, he had received the job as the ‘usual people’ were fully booked. He typically receives requests via email from the transportation service company.

In fact, the destination had been changed through a text message, with the new destination within Tokyo’s Chuo Ward costing 9,063 Yen on Booking.com, while the driver’s stated standard price was 13,000 Yen. He mentioned that text messaging was sufficient for rideshare requests.

The actual client demographic, as per the driver, was ‘80% Chinese. The rest are other foreigners.’ It stands to reason that for most foreigners, differentiating between green plates (legal taxis) and white plates (illegal taxis) would indeed be challenging.

A journey that should not have taken more than 30 minutes took 45 minutes using back roads to reach the destination. The driver unloaded the luggage and left after parking for about five minutes, possibly heading to the next pickup location.

The problem persists. As previously stated, while the author’s drop-off location had been changed from Kawasaki City in Kanagawa Prefecture to Chuo Ward in Tokyo, Booking.com’s confirmation screen indicated high-speed travel to Kawasaki Station, disembarking at 5:15 PM.

Bookings with providers offering ‘white taxi’ services can still be made on Booking.com to date. To date, there has been no response from the Booking.com Japan corporate communication representative, showing no signs of earnest concern. The continuation of such practices, using foreign corporate status as a façade, only goes to show a neglect of duties as a travel agency responsible for the safety of travelers.