China’s Ministry of Transport banned private cars from offering unlicensed taxi services via mobile-phone apps, according to a Jan. 8 report on the ministry’s website written by its official newspaper.
The announcement of a nationwide policy follows municipal bans on private-car use of the hailing apps. Beijing city will crack down on unlicensed vehicles using services including that of Uber Technologies Inc., China National Radio said on Jan. 7.
The Chinese capital has fined unauthorized vehicles for offering services via apps including Uber, Tencent Holdings’s Didi Taxi, Alibaba’s Kuaidi One and Yongche.com, CNR said, citing Bian Jingjun, deputy head of the transportation and law enforcement team at the city’s airport.