Han Ximin

    ximhan@126.com

    DIDI Chuxing, the ride-hailing app company formerly known as Didi Kuaidi, officially launched its carpooling service in 14 cities, including Shenzhen, yesterday.

    During a promotional period starting Dec. 7, users of the carpooling function — known as Express Pool — will get 10-yuan (US$1.58) off two shared rides each day and 50 percent off a solo ride, the company said at a press conference in Beijing.

    According to Sun Shu, who is in charge of the private-car operations of Didi, in the past monthlong trial period, the company received 11.5 million carpooling requests in the 14 cities.

    Chengdu, the capital of Southwest China’s Sichuan Province, recorded a remarkable 950,000 Express Pool requests in one week.

    In the coming three months, Didi will cover six more cities, Sun said.

    The Express Pool function automatically matches carpoolers according the driver’s intended route.

    “Express Pool is an efficient solution to maximize vehicle utility, improve drivers’ income and lower passengers’ costs,” Sun said. According to Sun, it can raise a driver’s hourly income by as much as 27 percent and lowers fares paid by passengers as much as 32 percent.

    Didi Hitch is launching an intercity ridesharing service for the Spring Festival season that will expand ridesharing outside of urban areas.

    According to Analysis International, Didi held 83-percent market share of the private-car app hailing business in the third quarter this year, with 4 million rides daily and 5 million registered drivers.

    In Beijing, the world’s top city by number of private-car hailing requests, Didi holds a market share of 90 percent, with over 1 million daily requests.

    Drivers on average get more rides and a higher hourly income through Didi, according to the vice president of corporate strategy, Stephen Zhu.

    Since its launch in November last year, Didi’s private-car hailing service has entered 259 cities.

    By the Spring Festival in February 2016, Didi plans to expand service to 400 cities around the world, which would make it the largest ridesharing network in the world.

    “We hope Didi’s private-car service will be in each and every city in China soon,” Zhu said.

    “In three years … we will be servicing over 30 million drivers and passengers on a daily basis, and aim to help every passenger to get a ride in less than three minutes anytime, anywhere,” Zhu said.