DiDi is on a roll right now. Here is the scoop from the Ridesharing Forum team.
Hidden agenda?
The good news first. DiDi Global, a leading ridesharing platform in mainland China, is reportedly recruiting drivers from Hong Kong, discreetly, according to Bloomberg.
This is to prepare for its expansion outside mainland China. While Hong Kong remains a Special Administrative Region of China, it is somewhat autonomous, even with businesses like ridesharing, considering the country’s scope. There are ridesharing platforms in Beijing, which is miles and miles away from Hong Kong, that are not in the SAR.
But what’s interesting is that there has been no formal and official announcement about this by DiDi Global. Instead, the media discovered this possibility when they spotted an ad directing drivers to download the KayGo Driver app, which is linked with DiDi.
In other words, DiDi is seemingly looking for drivers via the KayGo app. KayGo is an app for drivers who can take orders. It is an online order-taking platform. Currently, it is registered in Singapore under a Hong Kong contact number.
Right now, DiDi has tested cab services in Hong Kong in the past, and is currently not offering ridesharing options.
The hidden agenda: A take from Ridesharing Forum
Ridesharing media have also pointed out that this is a move with a hidden agenda to destroy Uber in Hong Kong. Let’s take a look.
Presently, Uber is more preferred by passengers in Hong Kong and this has been going on since 2014, according to this official Uber Newsroom post.
Though there are other ridesharing platforms in the East Asian city, such as HKTaxi, and so much more. It seems that Chinese owners of ridesharing businesses are now getting threatened by Uber and that people need to patronize their own. Good or bad?
Of course, DiDi has not issued an official statement regarding what the media found out.
Other Chinese ridesharing news
Meanwhile, in other ridesharing news in China, the Ridesharing Forum team would like to re-post a previous report earlier this year, saying that China’s ridesharing and taxi drivers are working longer hours for less pay. Not pleasant.
Drivers are sharing how they are working almost the whole day only to get a few customers and few earnings each day.
“Rideshare apps charge too little. For taxis, our prices are set by the government. Meantime, online booking apps keep rolling out promotions and offering cheaper prices. There is very little space for taxis to survive,” they told ridesharing media.
Also, competition is fierce. There are now several individuals using their cars to offer ridesharing services and there is no solution yet how this competition can be handled well.
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