Ride-hailing platforms fined

Ride-hailing platforms Didi Chuxing and Meituan Dianping have both been fined by the Shanghai Transport Commission three days in a row since July 8 for failing to weed out illegal cars and drivers.

Didi was fined 100,000 yuan (US$14,527) each day, while Meituan was fined 30,000 yuan. 

The commission said Meituan Chuxing is one of the 14 official ride-hailing platforms, so the penalty was based on the regulations for ride-hailing businesses.

Didi Chuxing, however, is operating  without a certificate. Its penalty was based on regulations for illegal passenger transportation.

Meituan said more than 30,000 illegal cars have been removed since June 14.

Law enforcement officers said they examined 15 Meituan orders  from the supervisory database on Wednesday and found five were completed by illegal cars. 

Out of the 15 orders examined at Didi, 11 were operated by illegal cars.

Meituan acquired its certificate in July 2017 and started operating in Shanghai in March 2018. 

Yet the third day after it began operation, it was fined for having illegal cars operating its service.

Didi Chuxing is still trying to have its service legalized.

Zhou Yiqun, from the city’s vehicle management authority, said it wouldn’t issue the certificate until all illegal cars and drivers were gone from the platform.

Shanghai required all cars operating ride-hailing service to have local plates and to be registered as commercial vehicles. 

All ride-hailing drivers must have Shanghai hukou, or permanent residency.

Law enforcement officers will continue to set checkpoints to inspect ride-hailing cars.

“We will bust illegal cars every day and fine platforms every day until we rule out all illegal ride-hailing cars and drivers,” said Zhou Guangyu from the law enforcement department.