The Anti-Didi Alliance

On October 20, Dida, a carpooling and shared travel company, announced it expanded the business scope and officially launched the taxi services. In addition to existing carpooling service, users can hail taxis in the latest version of the Dida App. In addition, the Dida is also engaged in the business contact with Mobike.

According to public information released by Dida, the taxis business it launched adopts order-grabbing model, which is similar as early Didi model. The platform doesn’t set the number of tasks that drivers must take nor distribute mandatory orders meanwhile, Dida dismissed the dynamic price increase and tip for hailing cars. According to Dida, the platform only provides information for two sides without introducing the bidding mechanism or taking a commission. Driver can receive all the money he earns.

In fact, since September 20, Dida has launched the taxi business in Beijing and Shanghai. It says so far, more than half of cabers in Beijing and Shanghai have downloaded and registered.

Besides taxi business, Dida will soon launch bicycle business. From what AI has learned, Dida and the Mobike will exchange resources and connect their business interface. Mobike APP will also have a carpooling entrance.

Obviously, there will be a new free-for-all competition in traveling area. And Dida, Gofun and Mobike will all be on the opposite side of Didi.

Data show the Dida was founded in September 2014. By September of this year, the total number of users had exceeded 70 million, and the total number of drivers reached 12 million, covering 359 cities in China. After three years of development, Dida now is Didi’s only remaining competitor in the carpooling market.

After Dida accessing taxi business, it may divert some Didi users – because before, the main way to hail taxi online is via Didi. While now, 70 million Dida users will have one more choice.

In December last year, Shouqi Group launched a product that hail taxi through calling, which is separate from Shouqi Limousine & Chauffeur. Shouqi tries to make the taxi service online. In this service, Shouqi and Dida compete head-on with Didi.

At that time, Shouqi group said, Calling for Cabs APP will pilot first in Qingdao, Changsha and Nanjing, then gradually to the whole country. In its subsequent step, it will again connect taxi business with online car hailing business.

AI has learned from Shouqi Group about its latest developments on taxi business. Shouqi taxi business now in available in Nanjing, Qingdao, and Foshan. Users can order in its APP. In next month, the service will be available in another two cities and will soon be launched in Beijing, Shanghai and other cities.

In addition, some media report today that Mobike has set up a separate network of car-hailing services and is seeking access to a number of car-hailing services. Shouqi has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with it on September 27, and Dida will also be Mobike’s next partner.

Dida insider confirmed the news to AI reporter and said that the cooperation between the two sides would be launched soon, enabling in-depth data connection. As for this cooperation, he said that it was a complementary cooperation and the user experience will be improved greatly.

After this series of collaboration, Mobike will become a comprehensive travel APP covering bike, online car hailing and carpooling. And Dida will also cover carpooling, taxi service and bike service. A new alliance competing with Didi is about to appear.