HONG KONG: China will soon launch a state-backed platform for transport that will include everything from ride-hailing to cargo trucking, road transport, railway, ferry and flight services, the state-run Beijing Daily reported on Wednesday.
The online platform, which has completed internal tests, is expected to integrate more than 90% of total capacity of the country’s transport market, the newspaper said.
The ride-hailing market in China was dominated by Didi Global which ran afoul of the Cyberspace Administration of China in 2021. An 18-month ban on the company was lifted on Monday after it satisfied the regulator that it had taken effective measures to ensure platform safety and data security.
The report did not give details of why the government was introducing the transport platform, whether customers would be obliged to use it or whether it would compete with existing platforms.
The report alluded to the disorderly expansion of ride-hailing apps and issues of data security.
The state-backed platform, to be called Qiang Guo Jiao Tong — or “Powerful Nation’s Transportation” — will offer people convenient services while maintaining data security and protecting personal privacy, Beijing Daily reported.
Other social media apps such as Wechat, Alipay and Douyin would be integrated into the platform, the report added.