Taxi apps have become increasingly popular in big cities like Beijing and Shanghai, where heavy traffic can make hailing taxis on the streets difficult. Many drivers and passengers have benefited from the apps.
Zhang Haibo is a taxi driver in Beijing.
"Beijing is huge, and it is difficult to get a taxi in many places. With the apps, passengers can easily hail a taxi, and for me, I can pick up fares in remote areas. I can make more money this way. "
Taxi-hailing smartphone app Didi, which is partnered with Tencent, has a rewards program that grants both taxi drivers and riders a ten yuan rebate per ride if they use the app. That's about a dollar-60 US. To compete in the market, Alipay and its own app KuaiDi have also allocated 500 million yuan in subsidies for app users.
But some passengers have concerns, despite the special offers.
"I think the apps are more designed for young people because users have to be familiar with smart phones, and you don't pay with cash, but with an e-payment system. It takes a couple of days for verification to get the reward money. I hope this can be improved."
"I could not pay by app once because the online payment service was unavailable. I have also noticed that drivers usually have two or three screens with different apps in front of them to take orders, which will definitely be a distraction for them on the road."
Cui Shupan, General Office Director at Beijing's BeiFang Chuangye Taxi Company, says the company will emphasize safe driving as it considers promoting the apps.
"We have a car-booking hotline but the service may not be as efficient as the apps. Passengers who use the apps spend less time waiting, so we encourage drivers to use the new booking systems. But we will not jeopardize safety, and will educate drivers about safety matters. "
Despite all these issues, Ye Yun, Director of Public Relations at Kuaidi, is optimistic about taxi apps.
"I believe the apps will become more popular because they benefit both drivers and passengers. Taxi apps like Hailo in the UK and Uber in the US have transformed the way people hail taxis, moving from the traditional way to the online booking service. I think it is a trend in China too."
Thirty such apps are now available in China, with the number still climbing, and the competition expected to grow more intense.
For CRI, this is Li Jing.
