Can’t get a ride on Didi? People are hitching rides in delivery vans

The recent heavy rains in Chinese cities have made it hard to hail a car on ride-sharing apps. And some people have come up with a solution: Order a cargo delivery van to deliver… yourself.

Weibo users are posting about how they have been hailing rides from a cargo delivery app called Huolala, which is known in Southeast Asia as Lalamove. It’s one of the most used van delivery services in China, claiming 20 million users. And it costs about the same as normal ride-hailing apps, according to a Beijing newspaper.

Some drivers on Huolala told the Beijing newspaper that they also prefer passengers than goods, because it’s easier than moving boxes in and out of their van.

In a playful announcement on Weibo titled “Sorry, I’m not taking this order!” that got more than 1.2 million views and nearly 10,000 comments, Huolala said that after noticing the trend, they’ve decided to forbid their drivers from picking up people. The reason is that carrying humans in the cargo compartment is dangerous and against regulations.