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Japanese Ex Teacher Claims First Hybrid Taxi October 2004A former Japanese schoolteacher is doing his bit to help the environment by launching a company using Toyotas gasoline-electric powered Prius car in what he claims is the worlds first hybrid Eco-Taxi service.Hideki Nakamura, the 54-year-old president of New Trans System, which began operating late last month, said the Eco-Taxi was a way to raise public awareness of environmental problems. I want people to know the importance of environmental issues, Nakamura said in an interview at his prefabricated headquarters in suburban Tokyo. Since our daily life is so dependent on cars, I decided to use them as a tool to get people interested in environmental problems such as global warming and the destruction of tropical rain forests, he said. The Eco-Taxis not only protect the environment but help save money for passengers as the flag fare is 570 yen (US$5) for the first two kilometers, 90 yen less than regular taxis, Nakamura said. For a 70-kilometer ride, such as from central Tokyo to the outer suburbs for many late night revelers, the Eco-Taxi costs about 17,000 yen, 3,000 yen less than rivals. Nakamura said he became interested in environmental issues during his 13 years as an elementary schoolteacher. With my pupils, I used to make environmentally friendly soaps or grow vegetables without using agricultural chemicals and naturally I started caring about the environment, he said. Also seeing polluted oceans and rivers made me worry for the sake of the children. I figured they were not going to live in a clean environment. As a teacher and just as an adult, I felt I had to do something about the environment. Toyotas Prius, the worlds first mass-produced hybrid car, emits 50-percent less carbon dioxide than a regular car with an engine size of 1.8 liters. Carbon dioxide is believed to be a major factor in global warming. The Prius is capable of doing 35.5 kilometers a liter of gasoline, twice as far as the 16 kilometers for a conventional car with a 1.8-liter petrol engine, according to Toyota. Hybrid cars are equipped with an electric motor and a standard petrol engine, making them much more economical and environment-friendly than conventional gasoline engines | ||
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