Coronavirus: infected drivers raise concerns for ride-hailing services in China
- Didi Chuxing, operator of China’s largest ride-hailing platform, recently had one driver diagnosed with the coronavirus
China’s ride-hailing services market, the world’s largest, faces challenging times amid reports of multiple drivers being diagnosed with the coronavirus, clouding prospects for an industry already hit hard by government-imposed travel restrictions across the country.
“The [coronavirus] epidemic will have a substantial impact on the ride-hailing industry because there is a probability of getting infected [by the drivers],” said Sun Naiyue, an analyst at research firm Analysys, who covers China’s broader mobility sector. “The demand has also been decreasing, as people are not going out.”
Based in central Henan province, the driver stopped working on Didi rides after January 20, went to a clinic on January 29 after feeling unwell and was diagnosed on February 5, according to Didi’s post on microblogging platform Weibo.
“Didi is in touch with the driver and will provide extra subsidy for him during the treatment,” the company said. “We have provided relevant information to the local government, and are working closely with them on virus prevention and control.”
A Didi spokesman declined further comment beyond what it said in the Weibo post.