DIDI Global Inc. yesterday blamed a “low-level” app glitch for a cascading outage that disrupted its car-hailing service across China this week.

Didi determined after an initial investigation that a “blockage” in software systems triggered the outage, which spurred complaints across social media from rush-hour commuters who claimed they lost pay after reporting late for work.

Millions of Chinese depend on the service to navigate traffic daily, particularly in cities like Beijing and Shanghai.

Known as China’s answer to Uber, Didi this month posted its first profit since 2021, when regulators launched a probe into its data management.

It’s working to stabilize its service to prevent a recurrence of this week’s outages, Didi said. It again apologized for the disruption, which affected commuters from as far afield as southwestern Guizhou. Users encountered glitches, including stalled turn-by-turn navigation systems and inability to confirm journeys or rides. (SD-Agencies)