New: You can now listen to articles.SINGAPORE: Once seen as a lucrative industry with flexible working hours, ride-hailing drivers in China are now working longer hours and receiving fewer orders, prompting cities across the country to warn of saturation in the market.
Other cities that have issued similar notices in recent months include Putian in southern Fujian province, Suzhou in Jiangsu province and Xiangtan in central China’s Hunan province. Major players in China include Ruqi Travel, Xiangdao Chuxing, Caocao and Didi. Ruqi Travel is owned by state-backed automaker GAC Group, while SAIC Motor owns Xiangdao Chuxing. Caocao is underIntensifying competition means many drivers are earning less than before, and some are also given a false impression by recruiters of what they can earn, various news outlets have reported.
“If you don’t work at least 15 to 16 hours a day, you can’t hit the 600 yuan target,” said the 18-year-old driver, who used a pseudonym. The city’s 24,177 licensed ride-hailing drivers earn 4,000 to 8,000 yuan and get four days of rest a month on average, said the bureau.