On Feb. 26, the Fukuoka District Court ruled in favor of low-cost taxi company Fukuoka MK, which was seeking an injunction against government penalties stemming from its failure to heed an order to revise its fares. The government dictates an “official range of fares” for taxis, but MK offers services at a lower cost. The presiding judge ruled the case as an “abuse of discretion” on the part of the national government in light of the fact that MK was granted a license in 2009 to operate as a low-cost taxi. This is is the third such district court ruling following similar cases in Osaka, one of which also involved an MK Group company. The Kyushu Transportation Bureau, which is responsible for setting the fare standards, said it will “confer with higher level agencies to determine a course of action.” Source: Yahoo! Japan News 2/26
