Han Ximin

ximhan@126.com

DIDI Chuxing, the world’s leading integrated transportation app, launched a cooperation program to provide accessible car services for visually impaired people.

The framework signed with China Association of the Blind on Tuesday is part of Didi’s efforts in promoting accessible commuting and transportation.

Didi has introduced accessible chauffeured car services for visually impaired people and kept optimizing its app’s functions.

Last September, Didi launched a voice service on its app for visually impaired passengers served by authorized guide dogs to make orders, enabling those passengers to locate cars, travel without being rejected and arrive at their destinations with the help of their dogs. The service has covered 74 cities across the country including Shenzhen.

Didi has also cooperated with multiple guide dog service bases, giving priority to guide-dog users when Didi drivers are receiving orders. The platform also reminds its drivers through voice or text messages of providing necessary aid to those users.

So far, a total of 1.8 million Didi drivers have completed registrations for the barrier-free service. Such drivers have promised that they will never reject to pick up visually impaired passengers accompanied by guide dogs and will help these users whenever possible. Each driver will get a 10-yuan (US$1.5) reward after a ride for those passengers.

Li Qingzhong, chairman of the China Association of the Blind, said he expected Didi to provide more visually impaired people-friendly services, and more enterprises to learn from Didi in helping physically challenged people.