China's Didi Kuaidi starts commuting shuttle service
Didi Kuaidi, Chinese Uber-rival, yesterday began its new shuttle service for commuters in Beijing and Shenzhen. The firm currently offers 33 bus routes in Beijing and 10 in Shenzhen, using shuttle buses from tourism agencies and car rental firms. Riders can sign up for the shuttle service on Tencent's instant messaging app WeChat and are charged on a pay-as-you-go basis. Didi Kuaidi already dominates China's online taxi-hailing market, the commuting shuttle is the latest addition to its transportation offerings as the company. With more than $3.5 billion in cash reserves, Didi seeks to make a dent in what it sees as a $16.1 billion intelligent public transportation market. The shuttle routes are planned to take commuters directly from home to work and will save them from having to transfer between subways and buses.
The new service will guarantee people a seat on the shuttle bus and plans to capitalise on holes in public bus routes in Chinese cities. Photo: AP