Forget everything you know about taxis and VTC. The new in China is not to rent the services of a vehicle with its driver, but to rent only the services of a driver. The alternative, especially for those who return from a party night, seems perfect.
Hello, I need a driver. In this type of service the client performs the request through a mobile app that geolocates, and after confirming the request, the magic arrives. Minutes later comes the driver we had asked and will take us where we want with our own car. These types of applications are known as Dàijià (代驾) (“designated driver”) and are present in the country For years.
Skateboards. The curious thing, in addition, is how that driver comes, that when he appears he does it with an electric scooter (or perhaps a compact electric bicycle), something that allows him to move from one point to another in the city where the service operates. Upon reaching your vehicle, that driver or designated driver folds the path and puts it in the trunk. Once it reaches destiny and park your vehicle, take out the stick of the trunk and leave with it.
If you drink do not drive. Chinese laws are very hard with drunk drivers, and since 2011 the penalties are severe if the police detect one of these drivers. As in countries like Spain, these drivers are exposed to fines, suspension of driving card and even prison sentences.
A social conflict. But it is that in China drinking is a especially important social practice, especially in the business world. Sharing a drink is a way that trust and bonds of union between those who do it. In fact, a traditional toast in China, “Ganbei” (干杯), means “empty cup”, and encourages everyone to finish their drinks even if it is also acceptable to drink only a little. Finishing drinks, yes, is seen as a sign of respect.
A perfect solution. That conflict that exists between “having to drink” and driving its car has made this type of services Dàijià They have been located as an ideal solution for each other. A recent statement of the Ministry of Public Security indicated how there had been a significant drop in the number of mortal traffic accidents in the last decade. Li Jiangping, director of the Traffic Management Office, explained that the data is especially positive considering that since 2011 the number of motor vehicles has been increased by 89% and that of drivers by 123%.
Millions of journeys. According to the Ministry, the number of accidents in which there were three or more fatal victims had fallen 59.3% since 2012. In that same statement the Ministry indicated that one of the factors of that fall in the accident is that “most people choose to use services of designated drivers after drinking, with the number of requests reaching an annual average of 200 million.”
Two giants compete in China for that market. In China there are two great protagonists in this segment. On the one hand it is e-Daijiawhich cleared the land in 2011 upon discovering the service to millions of users. Until 2015 its market share was 90%, but in July of that year Didi launched its own service, Didi Daijiawhich integrated into its own application putting it easier than ever its millions of customers in China. That unleashed a price war that ended up benefiting users and, of course, these services, which have become a unique and interesting alternative to traditional VTCs and taxis.
Image | Didi
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