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