Realization of a Linked Model Enabling Taxi Dispatch from the On-Demand Transit App 'KnowRoute'

Dennou Kotsu Inc. (Headquarters: Tokushima City, Tokushima Prefecture; Representative Director and President: Yosuke Kondo; hereinafter 'Dennou Kotsu'), Next Mobility Inc. (Headquarters: Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture; Representative Director and President: Satoru Hidaka; hereinafter 'Next Mobility'), and Spare Technology Solutions Inc. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and President: Yuma Kitano; hereinafter 'Spare') are pleased to announce the realization of a linked model that enables taxi dispatch requests from the on-demand transit service app 'KnowRoute'. This initiative aims to realize a new regional transit model that is easy for users to utilize and reasonable for operators to introduce and operate by connecting different mobility methods—on-demand transit and taxis—via a unified system.

Background In recent years, the environment surrounding regional transit has changed significantly, making it difficult to address regional mobility challenges with just a single transportation method. Against the backdrop of a declining population, advancing aging, and a severe shortage of drivers, the issue of so-called 'transit deserts' has become prominent in various regions. Under these circumstances, there is a growing need to create mechanisms that sustainably support residents' mobility while effectively utilizing existing local transit resources like taxis and on-demand transit. Dennou Kotsu has supported regional transit with taxi operators nationwide through its cloud-based taxi dispatch system 'DS'. Meanwhile, Next Mobility and Spare have worked on providing flexible mobility methods tailored to regional characteristics through the on-demand transit service 'KnowRoute'. Given this background, the three companies have been exploring the realization of a new regional transit service that links on-demand transit and taxis. To verify its feasibility and operational effectiveness, a test assuming actual service provision was conducted in Island City, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka.

About This Collaboration In this initiative, Dennou Kotsu's taxi dispatch system 'DS' is linked with the AI-utilized on-demand transit solution 'KnowRoute' provided by Next Mobility (which utilizes the AI-powered Spare Platform provided by Spare). This makes it possible for users to request a taxi dispatch on the same app in addition to using on-demand transit from the 'KnowRoute' app. Furthermore, the setup allows taxi operators to respond to dispatch requests while continuing to use Dennou Kotsu's existing dispatch system and in-vehicle tablets. Service integration has been achieved without massive operational changes or additional burdens.

About the Cloud-Based Taxi Dispatch System 'DS' The cloud-based taxi dispatch system 'DS' is a comprehensive dispatch system combining a screen for dispatch operators and an in-vehicle tablet for drivers, realizing operational efficiency for taxi operators. Currently, it is used by approximately 650 companies and roughly 23,000 taxi vehicles across all 47 prefectures nationwide.