Kanagawa Passenger Car Cooperative

The Kanagawa Passenger Car Cooperative (神奈川旅客自動車協同組合, Kanagawa Ryokaku Jidōsha Kyōdō Kumiai) is a taxi business cooperative headquartered in Naka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is best known under the trade name "Radio Taxi" (ラジオタクシー), a wireless dispatch brand used by its member taxi operators. The word "radio" here refers not to radio broadcasting but to the taxi radio (wireless) system historically used to dispatch vehicles to customers. The cooperative was originally named the Yokohama Passenger Car Cooperative (横浜旅客自動車協同組合) and adopted its current name in 2010. It functions as a dispatch and coordination body: member taxi companies retain their own corporate identities and vehicle liveries, while the cooperative operates the shared wireless dispatch center, the Radio Taxi brand, the free-dial reservation number, and related customer services. The signature vehicle livery is a white body with a blue stripe. Radio Taxi's dispatch services are centered on Yokohama and extend across Kanagawa Prefecture. Customers can summon a taxi through several channels: automated voice dispatch, telephone, smartphone apps for iPhone and Android, and the LINE messaging app. The cooperative also offers fixed-fare services to Haneda Airport and Narita Airport, sightseeing information, corporate and temporary contracts, and the "Radio Taxi ride ticket" (ラジオタクシー乗車券) used by corporate clients. A notable specialized service is "Jintsū 119" (陣痛119番), a priority dispatch line for expectant mothers going into labor. As of the Japanese Wikipedia description, the cooperative had eleven member operators (including two quasi-members), of which seven conducted wireless dispatch. In terms of taxi fleet share within Yokohama city, Radio Taxi ranked third, behind the Heiwa Kotsu Group and Kanagawa Toshi Kotsu. Membership has changed over time: Hōei Kōtsū joined in April 2010 after the dissolution of the Kanagawa Wireless Taxi Cooperative, and Fujimi Kōtsū transferred in from the Yokohama Wireless Cooperative (now the Yokohama Traffic Group), improving coverage in Isogo and Kōnan wards. The cooperative's public communications have addressed operational changes such as the consolidation of its toll-free numbers, the resumption of full 24-hour wireless dispatch (after reduced hours during the COVID-19 pandemic), and the temporary suspension and later resumption of the Jintsū 119 service. It also publicized COVID-19 countermeasures including mask-wearing by all drivers and disinfection of vehicle interiors and hands.

The Kanagawa Passenger Car Cooperative is a taxi business cooperative based in Naka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It operates under the trade name "Radio Taxi" (ラジオタクシー), a wireless dispatch brand shared by its member taxi operators. The term "radio" in the name refers to the taxi radio (wireless) system used for dispatching vehicles, not to radio broadcasting. The cooperative was originally known as the Yokohama Passenger Car Cooperative (横浜旅客自動車協同組合). In 2010 it changed its name to the Kanagawa Passenger Car Cooperative, reflecting a broader Kanagawa Prefecture scope. Membership has shifted over the years as local taxi cooperatives dissolved or reorganized. Hōei Kōtsū joined in April 2010 following the dissolution of the Kanagawa Wireless Taxi Cooperative (神奈川無線タクシー協同組合). Fujimi Kōtsū transferred in from the Yokohama Wireless Cooperative (横浜無線協同組合, now the Yokohama Traffic Group), which improved Radio Taxi availability in Isogo and Kōnan wards. Former members include Keiō Kōtsū Daini (later Asuka Kōtsū Kanagawa, in Minami-ku, Idogaya-shimochō), which left in 2001 to operate independently; Matsumura Unyu (Nishi-ku, Okano); Kōhoku Kōtsū (Tsuzuki-ku, Tōhō-chō); and the Yokohama office of Wai Cab (Isogo-ku, Hirochi-chō), which had transferred in after the dissolution of the Kanagawa Wireless Taxi Cooperative but later closed its office. As described in Japanese Wikipedia, the cooperative had eleven member operators (including two quasi-members), of which seven conducted wireless dispatch. Its vehicles use a white body with a blue stripe. In terms of taxi fleet share within Yokohama city, Radio Taxi ranked third, behind the Heiwa Kotsu Group and Kanagawa Toshi Kotsu. The cooperative operates a shared wireless dispatch center and offers multiple booking channels: automated voice dispatch, telephone, dedicated iPhone and Android apps, and the LINE messaging app. It provides fixed-fare services to Haneda Airport and Narita Airport, sightseeing information, corporate and temporary contracts, and the "Radio Taxi ride ticket" (ラジオタクシー乗車券) for corporate clients. A distinctive service is "Jintsū 119" (陣痛119番), a priority dispatch line for expectant mothers. In its public notices, the cooperative announced the consolidation of its toll-free numbers, discontinuing connections from 0120-77-4787 and 0120-25-8248 as of March 31 and asking customers to re-register 0120-41-1190. It also announced that from October 22 the wireless dispatch room would return to full 24-hour, 365-day operation after reduced hours during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Jintsū 119 service resumed acceptance from July 1, with limited hours initially. The cooperative also publicized COVID-19 countermeasures, including mask-wearing by all drivers and disinfection of vehicle interiors and hands using weakly acidic hypochlorous acid water (SteriPower) or alcohol, along with appropriate ventilation. It also announced the end of its "LS crew monitor" program as of October 10, 2018 (Heisei 30).

• 2018

  The "LS crew monitor" program ends as of October 10 (Heisei 30).

• 2010

  The cooperative changes its name from Yokohama Passenger Car Cooperative to Kanagawa Passenger Car Cooperative.

• 2010

  Hōei Kōtsū joins in April following the dissolution of the Kanagawa Wireless Taxi Cooperative.

• 2001

  Keiō Kōtsū Daini leaves the cooperative to operate independently.

• Fujimi Kōtsū joins Radio Taxi from May 1, improving coverage in Isogo and Kōnan wards.

• Radio Taxi toll-free numbers are consolidated; connections from 0120-77-4787 and 0120-25-8248 end as of March 31.

• Wireless dispatch returns to full 24-hour, 365-day operation from October 22.

• Jintsū 119 maternity priority dispatch resumes acceptance from July 1.

A cooperative-branded taxi dispatch network in Yokohama and Kanagawa, ranked third in Yokohama city fleet share, offering multi-channel booking and specialized services such as maternity priority dispatch.

• Radio Taxi wireless dispatch (ラジオタクシー無線配車)

  Shared wireless dispatch service for member taxi operators, available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

• Smartphone booking apps (iPhone / Android)

  Free apps for iPhone and Android that allow customers to summon a Radio Taxi.

• LINE booking

  Taxi dispatch via the LINE messaging app.

• Automated voice dispatch

  Automated voice system for requesting a taxi by phone.

• Fixed-fare airport service (Haneda / Narita)

  Fixed-fare taxi service to Haneda Airport and Narita Airport.

• Radio Taxi ride ticket (ラジオタクシー乗車券)

  Corporate ride tickets usable with member companies, with ticket partnerships extended to the Yokosuka-Miura area.

• Jintsū 119 (陣痛119番)

  Priority dispatch service for expectant mothers going into labor.

• Corporate and temporary contracts

  Contract services for corporate clients and temporary arrangements.

1. 1ラジオタクシー 神奈川旅客自動車協同組合／横浜の無線配車・予約radio-taxi.org
2. 2Kanagawa Passenger Car Cooperative - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3神奈川旅客自動車協同組合 - Wikipedia (Japanese)ja.wikipedia.org