China’s Ride-Hailing Service Didi Chuxing Set To Take On Uber
Its app could go live as early as this month.
Didi Chuxing is coming to Mexico. Back in December, word broke that Chinese ride-share service Didi Chuxing would be launching its first overseas expansion in Mexico. According to Reuters (via Engadget), the company has launched a website to recruit drivers and passengers in the city of Toluca, and the app will reportedly go live later this month.
A Didi Chuxing spokesperson wouldn’t comment to Reuters on the timeline for the app’s launch, but said that its operations will begin “very soon.” The company has also released a pair of advertisements touting the service in Toluca, which invite drivers to apply for the service. To help entice drivers to sign up, Didi says it won’t take a service charge through June 17th, 2018. After that point, the company will charge a 20 percent service rate.
Didi settled on Toluca, the capital of the central state of Mexico, because it is a “robust regional commercial and cultural” center, said the spokesman, who declined to be named. Its priority will be to learn from local communities about their transportation needs, the spokesman said.
While ride-hailing services typically use passenger vehicles, Didi is also considering other modes of transportation such as scooters, motorcycles and bicycles.
Safety has become a worry for commuters in many parts of Mexico, and Didi has taken steps to address that.
