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New | China’s Didi recruiting more driver in ride-hailing business through drive-to-own programme

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A smart phone showing a customer using Didi in Beijing, China. Photo: Simon Song
He Huifengin Guangdong

Didi Chuxing , operator of China’s top ride-hailing mobile application, is stepping up efforts to recruit more drivers on the mainland than rival Uber through a novel drive-to-own programme involving selected car models.

The Beijing-based company formerly known as Didi Kuaidi expects to sign up 100,000 new full-time drivers in five mainland Chinese cities under that campaign.

The programme was rolled out after many drivers working for Didi and rival Uber went on a one-day strike last Friday in the Chinese capital, protesting against the two companies’ move to slash the proportion of the fares and subsidies they receive by half.

In January, a Didi driver in Beijing can get 220 yuan as daily subsidies after completing 22 orders a day. In April, the subsidies were lowered to only 90 yuan.

Didi’s drive-to-own programme provides a new car to the successful applicant for free as long as the driver puts down a deposit of 20,000 yuan, the company said.

A private car driver of China’s biggest ride-hailing app, Didi, drives his customer in a street in Beijing. Photo: Simon Song
A private car driver of China’s biggest ride-hailing app, Didi, drives his customer in a street in Beijing. Photo: Simon Song

All three car models are made in China, including C-Quatre from Dongfeng Peugeot Citroen Automobile Company, the BYD Qin plug-in hybrid compact sedan from BYD Auto and the Sunny by the Dongfeng-Nissan joint venture.

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