2016年CRI China grants legal status to online ride hailing services

 

The country's first nationwide regulations for on-demand mobility¹ (ODM) services was unveiled Thursday.

It formally granted legal status to companies like Didi Chuxing and Uber that had operated in a gray area in China.

Vice² Minister of Transport Liu Xiaoming

"It grants legal status to on-demand mobility services, clarifies the role and responsibility of service providers, sets out requirements for their operation and aims to promote sound and innovative³ development of the industry."

The latest document specifies⁴ that firms like Didi Chuxing and Uber do not need to own their fleet, effectively allowing private cars to join the party.

Vehicles and drivers need to apply for a license⁵ collectively before starting services.

Companies in the sector⁶ are responsible for the qualification of their fleet and drivers.

A provisional rule released by the Ministry⁷ of Transport on the same day set out detailed⁸ requirements for ODM companies and drivers.

One item in it limits the operational life of private vehicles used for offering rides.

"Traditional taxi cars are banned from the road after eight years in service. But those used for ODM services are different. They are no longer allowed to offer rides after they clock-up 600,000 km or have been in use for eight years, but they can still hit roads for private purposes if they don't run that distance within eight years."

At the same time, the rule also stipulates⁹ ODM drivers must have no criminal record for driving offences, drugs, alcohol or violent crimes.

Liu Zhao with the Traffic Management Bureau of the Public Security Ministry.

"On-demand mobility services are convenient, but also have some safety risks due to the difficulty in monitoring the drivers. The requirements set out in the rules aim to ensure safe and reliable services."

The rules also require ODM companies to pay taxes and buy insurance for passengers, while banning them undercutting market prices, which could disrupt market order.

Meanwhile, it also addresses the concerns of tradition cab drivers who have complained about tougher business conditions resulting from the soaring popularity of Didi Chuxing and Uber.

Taxi companies are now urged to reduce high franchise¹⁰ fees and encouraged to provide online-booking services or merge¹¹ with ODM companies.

Official figures show close to 97 million Chinese, or about one in every 14, hailed a taxi via online ODM services in 2015, while close to 22 million people booked private cars online.

There are close to 1.4 million taxis across China, carrying more than 100 million people per day on average.

The new policy has been hailed by transportation experts.

Chen Yanyan with Beijing University of Technology.

"For passengers, it guarantees their safety and interests. For traditional taxi operators, it provides a fair market environment and encourages them to improve. And for the industry itself, it ensures healthy development under strict supervision¹²."

ODM companies including Didi Chuxing and Uber, as well as traditional taxi operators, also voice support for the policy.

For CRI, this is Liu Mohan.

1 mobility   

n.可动性，变动性，情感不定

参考例句：

• The difference in regional house prices acts as an obstacle to mobility of labour.不同地区房价的差异阻碍了劳动力的流动。
• Mobility is very important in guerrilla warfare.机动性在游击战中至关重要。

2 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

3 innovative   

adj.革新的，新颖的，富有革新精神的

参考例句：

• Discover an innovative way of marketing.发现一个创新的营销方式。
• He was one of the most creative and innovative engineers of his generation.他是他那代人当中最富创造性与革新精神的工程师之一。

4 specifies   

v.指定( specify的第三人称单数 )；详述；提出…的条件；使具有特性

参考例句：

• The third clause of the contract specifies steel sashes for the windows. 合同的第三款指定使用钢窗。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The contract specifies red tiles, not slates, for the roof. 合同规定屋顶用红瓦，并非石板瓦。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 license   

n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许

参考例句：

• The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
• The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。

6 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

7 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

8 detailed   

adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。

9 stipulates   

n.（尤指在协议或建议中）规定，约定，讲明（条件等）( stipulate的名词复数 )；规定，明确要求v.（尤指在协议或建议中）规定，约定，讲明（条件等）( stipulate的第三人称单数 )；规定，明确要求

参考例句：

• The trade contract stipulates for the settlement of balances in RMB. 贸易合同规定余额以人民币结算。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The contract stipulates for the use of seasoned timber. 合同上订明用干透的木料。 来自辞典例句

10 franchise   

n.特许，特权，专营权，特许权

参考例句：

• Catering in the schools is run on a franchise basis.学校餐饮服务以特许权经营。
• The United States granted the franchise to women in 1920.美国于1920年给妇女以参政权。

11 merge   

v.(使)结合，(使)合并，(使)合为一体

参考例句：

• I can merge my two small businesses into a large one.我可以将我的两家小商店合并为一家大商行。
• The directors have decided to merge the two small firms together.董事们已决定把这两家小商号归并起来。

12 supervision   

n.监督，管理

参考例句：

• The work was done under my supervision.这项工作是在我的监督之下完成的。
• The old man's will was executed under the personal supervision of the lawyer.老人的遗嘱是在律师的亲自监督下执行的。