Didi Kuaidi, other car-hailing apps ‘adding to Beijing’s traffic problems’ says transport chief
Beijing’s transport commission director targets new technology-based methods, says they offer commuters choice but add to the city’s notorious traffic congestion
Burgeoning car-hailing apps are compounding Beijing’s traffic woes, according to the capital’s transport chief.
Beijing transport commission director Zhou Zhengyu told a municipal people’s congress panel yesterday that falling oil prices and car-hailing apps had reversed an easing in traffic congestion over the past few years, Beijing Daily reported.
Zhou said the city’s 10-point traffic index dropped from 6.1 in 2010 to 5.5 in 2013 and 2014, only to rise again to 5.7 last year, the report said.
The higher the number the greater the traffic, and a score of between four and six means motorists have to spend 50-80 per cent more time on the road to complete a journey.
READ MORE: China’s Didi Kuaidi to launch cross-city car-hailing service over Chinese New Year to aid world’s biggest human migration
Leading car-hailing app Didi Kuaidi said it could not respond to the comments but its research indicated that “in 2015 Didi Express Pool and Hitch reduced China’s total daily car trips by 1.14 million on average”.
“This is the equivalent of 2.1 per cent fewer car trips in Beijing,” the company said.
More than 100,000 private cars are registered with car-hailing apps in Beijing and 60,000 are active every day.
The capital is notorious for its bad traffic and was ranked as the most congested mainland city in August by digital map provider AMAP.
In its report on traffic in major Chinese cities, AMAP also said car-hailing apps offered commuters choice but added to traffic congestion.
This prompted a swift response from Didi Kuaidi, which said its service could cut waiting time for taxis and the amount of time that cab drivers did not have passengers.
“The car-booking business does not increase the total vehicle numbers or driving distances for passengers,” it said.
“Even without car-booking services, people would still use taxis or drive by themselves.”
