New standards proposed for online ride-hailing services

New standards regulating the quality of online ride-hailing services such as Didi and Uber in China are set to be introduced by the national transport authority.

According to a draft of standards published on the Ministry of Transport's website on Monday, drivers providing online ride-hailing services will need to be licensed by the authority in future and ideally the cars they drive should be equipped with wireless internet, phone chargers and tissues, which regular taxis are not required to have.

Due to safety concerns, drivers will also be profiled and a database of their biometric information will be established to prevent impostors, according to the draft.

It also requires drivers to provide invoices, which are currently unavailable, and bans them from cruising on the street for customers, or queuing at taxi ranks near airports or train stations, unless they have express permission.

"All these measures are meant to differentiate online ride-hailing services from traditional taxis," said Cheng Guohua, a researcher from the ministry who participated in the making of the draft, in an interview with Beijing News.

But some observers have expressed concerns that the new standards will mean that many drivers who currently provide services through the Didi and Uber platforms will be unable to do so in the future.

The draft is now out for public consultation until the end of this month.

Liang Shuang contributed to this story.