New rules on car-hailing services come into effect in Beijing

A photo shows several popular car-hailing apps in China. [Photo: sina.com.cn]

A raft of new rules on car-hailing services in Beijing officially came into effect on Saturday, May 20, 2017.

Under the new rules, car-hailing operators in the Chinese capital need to have operating licenses issued by the Beijing municipal government.

To date, five car-hailing platforms including Shouqi Limousine & Chauffeur, Feidi, Yidao, Didi Chuxing as well as Ucar have obtained operating licenses from the Beijing authorities.

Drivers queuing to sign up for exams in December 2016, to get permits to provide car-hailing services. [Photo: bjnews.com.cn]

In addition, drivers engaged in car-hailing services in the Chinese capital are required to be official residents of Beijing and to drive locally registered vehicles.

Furthermore, they need to take driving tests and get the permits for both themselves and their vehicles before hitting the road.

The new rules come with the Beijing authorities pledging to tackle the capital’s “urban ills.”

Currently, Beijing has over 5.6 million vehicles, far beyond its road and environmental capacity.

The rules are expected to ease Beijing’s traffic congestion and environmental problems.

Many other cities in China, such as Shanghai and Guangzhou have also rolled out similar rules to regulate their car-hailing services.

In Shanghai, drivers are also required to have local‘hukou’ or residence permits, and use vehicles with local car plates.

Vehicles with less than seven seats must be registered with local car plates.

Guangzhou goes even further, and only allows drivers with at least a junior high school diploma to provide the services.