Car booking drivers required to pass exams

New rule part of move to legalize service nationwide

Drivers offering online car-booking services in Beijing on Sunday showed mixed reactions to new regulations issued by the Ministry of Transport (MOT) that requires them to pass a exam or face a fine.

China became the first major country to legalize online car-booking services nationwide, when seven government ministries led by the MOT issued regulations on July 28 on manag. The regulations take force in November.

According to the latest regulations, drivers who offer their services using taxis or private cars must pass an exam and present certain documents before hitting the road.

Offenders will be subject to a fine of 5,000 yuan ($747.6) to 10,000 yuan, with a 30,000 yuan cap for serious offenses, at the discretion of local law enforcement officers. In China, online car-riding services will be governed by local governments, under the new regulations.

A driver working on the Didi platform with his private car said he was notified by Didi and felt comfortable about the exams, saying he had been familiarizing himself with the contents.

"It strikes me that from now on, we private car owners will be required to provide the same services as traditional taxis," the man, who only gave his surname as Xie. He has been in the business for 10 months, he told the Global Times Sunday.

"But on the ground, there seems to be no unified interpretation or implementation of those central government policies," Xie said.

Another driver who only gave his name as Chen told the Global Times Sunday that it depends on how things turn out.

"If the requirements are reasonable, I will take (the exam). I am unemployed anyway. But if it's too cumbersome, in terms of complex requirements and relevant fees, then I will just quit," Chen said.

The latest regulations also require prospective drivers to submit documents that prove they haven't committed crimes, been involved in traffic accidents or used drugs.

But, different from the regulations published in July, the new rules specifically require drivers offering online car-booking services to take exams, and the company is reviewing its driver base and ruling out the unqualified, Didi Chuxing said in a statement sent to the Global Times Sunday.

Zheng Chunhui, an industry analyst with Beijing-based market consultancy Sootoo, told the Global Times Sunday that exams will not bring down the number of private car owners as this is a common practice of management for many industries.