Didi tightens security policies after passenger murder

China's ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing announced its plan Wednesday to strengthen passenger security following the recent killing of a female passenger, reports Beijing News.

China's ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing announces its plan to strengthen passenger security, on Wednesday, May 16, 2018. [File Photo: VCG]

The company said its hitchhiking service, which pairs passengers and drivers heading in the same direction, will be suspended between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. Didi's Hitch Ride has been offline across the country since May 12. The company has not revealed when this service will be available again.

Personalized tags and features that allow users to be rated will also be removed, after drivers were allegedly reviewing female passengers based on their appearance, and posting derogatory remarks or vulgar jokes about them on the platform.

The company also plans to introduce a comprehensive real-name registration and facial recognition system that is mandatory for all drivers, and has vowed to redesign the Emergency Help function on its app. These new measures are set to be introduced by the end of the month, said Didi.

The company is seeking public feedback on an additional voice-recording function for every trip, with the goal of collecting evidence that can be used in the event of a dispute.