Didi considers Hitch relaunch

0 Comment(s)Print E-mail SHINE, July 19, 2019
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Didi Chuxing said it has added new safety features to its hitchhiking service and expects for a relaunch of the service in the future after seeking comments from the public and getting government approval. 

Didi suspended the Hitch service in August last year following the murder of two female passengers by Didi Hitch drivers.

The ride-hailing company has been harshly criticized for allowing Hitch drivers to leave comments about female passengers' and encouraging "romantic encounters" between carpool riders and drivers. 

Many accused the company of turning peer-to-peer ride-sharing into a hotbed for people preying on the weak and the unprotected. 

Didi didn't give the timetable for a relaunch but said it will consider trial operations during the day and in urban areas.

Liu Qing, Didi's president, said the service accounted for less than 10 percent of total ride-booking on the platform before its suspension, and said it will continue to share its thinking on making it safer and also encourage more public input. 

The company also underwent business restructuring and layoffs to ensure safety measures fell in line with regulatory demands. It also rectified its safety procedures for its chauffeur services by setting up a direct link between passenger's apps and the police emergency call center.

Didi will be publicizing its new rules for public consultation, which include measures such as the assessment for drivers and passengers before they book a ride through Didi, pop-up alerts to remind drivers and passengers to double check the identity, a one-click police emergency call button, and automatic detection of whether a route is reasonable. It is also offering up to 1.2 million yuan (US$174,390)of accident insurance for each rider. 

Covering four areas, the proposed measures also include minimizing the display of personal information and special protection for female riders and drivers such as multiple identity verification and cross-references, en-route safety monitoring and an intervention alert mechanism under unusual circumstances. 

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