BEIJING: Transport minister of China has that he hopes to have regulations issued on using mobile apps to book private cars within the first half of 2015.
In January, China’s Ministry of Transport banned taxi hailing apps such as Uber Technologies Inc and local rivals Kuaidi Dache and Didi Dache, who have since announced a merger, from using cars and drivers without taxi licences in a bid to regulate the rapidly growing sector.
The Ministry of Transport has finished evaluating opinions on regulating private drivers, and will seek public comment after the annual full session of China’s parliament, said Yang Chuantang, the ministry’s chief, according to the official China National Radio (CNR). The parliamentary session concludes on March 15.
“I’m hopeful (the regulations) will be published within the first half of the year,” CNR quoted Yang as saying.
January’s ban hit Uber and its rivals just weeks after Chinese internet firm Baidu Inc invested an undisclosed amount for an undisclosed stake in San Francisco-based Uber.
Private car services have a positive effect on the transport market, said Yang, according to a separate report from official state news agency Xinhua.
But there are currently private car services where private cars are operating illegally, the responsibility of the operators isn’t clear and passengers’ safety and legal rights are not protected, creating a taxi market with unfair competition and other issues, Xinhua cited Yang as saying.
