Japan on Monday began allowing ride-hailing services to operate in four areas including Tokyo and Kyoto, with plans to expand to other regions as early as May in a bid to address a nationwide shortage of taxi drivers. The partial lifting of a ban on ride-hailing services permits drivers with a standard license to offer taxi services on specified days and hours using their own private vehicle, provided they are under the management of a local taxi company. The services are available daily in the capital’s 23 wards and its cities of Musashino and Mitaka, as well as Kyoto, including its vicinity….