Didi-Kuaidi Rolls Out App-Enabled Bus Service In Beijing And Shenzhen
After receiving a massive $2 billion USD funding last week, China’s largest taxi-hailing app Didi-Kuaidi is adding a new alternative to its transportation platform: Didi Bus, a shuttle bus service for commuters. It comes at a time when similar services are being stamped out by wary authorities.
The service will start with 33 routes in Beijing and 10 routes in Shenzhen and will cover several hundreds journeys in the two cities by end of July, according to the company.
先週20億米ドルという大規模な資金を調達した、中国最大のタクシー配車アプリDidi-Kuaidiが、その輸送プラットフォームに新たな選択肢を追加する。通勤者向けシャトルバスサービス「Didi Bus」だ。このサービスは、同様のサービスが慎重な当局によって排除されている、まさにその時に登場した。
同社によれば、同サービスは北京で33ルート、そして深圳での10ルートでスタートする予定で、7月末までに両都市において数百本の運行を予定している。
中国最大のタクシーアプリDidi-Kuaidiは、先週20億米ドルもの巨額資金を獲得し、同社の交通プラットフォームに新サービスを追加しようとしている。Didiバス、通勤客のためのシャトルバスサービスだ。類似サービスが、慎重な当局によって禁じられているタイミングでの事業開始となる。
同社によれば、このサービスは北京の33路線、深センの10路線で開始し、7月末までに2都市で数百の路線をカバーするという。
Didi Bus will initially be operated through WeChat, a popular IM tool developed by Didi Kuaidi’s investor Tencent. After following the official account of ‘Didi Bus’ on WeChat, users can register with their phone number and choose their commuting routes and time. Riders will receive an e-ticket which is charged on a pay-as-you go basis at a price of around 7-13 RMB ($1.12 to $2.09 USD) per ride, which is 3-5 times the price of public buses. The company has said it will will provide a freebie price of 0.01 RMB per ride for the first week of operation however.
![[削除済みユーザ]](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/695023b4efd563721d13716b1457bc73.png?d=identicon&mode=crop&r=PG&s=42)
The internet firm has teamed up with licensed travel agencies and leasing companies to source the bus fleets. The shuttle routes were crowd-formed by requests from travelers, as well as existing route information.
The service is aimed at urban commuters aged between 20 to 40 years, and is designed to compliment China’s poor public transportation system, Didi Bus is also tapping into ideas on sustainability to help plug their new service, pointing to the poor carpooling record of China’s cities. Didi Bus is the latest step by the Tencent-Ali coalition to expand and monetize the immensely popular hailing app. The merged entity has gradually rolled out carpooling, black car services and designated driver services over the past 6 months.
In addition to tickets, potential revenue sources for this service include bus advertisements, sales of goods and value-added services for riders, including designated seats. The service appears to be similar to Leap Transit, a San Francisco-based luxury bus service for commuters that is commercializing through higher-end services including WiFi connections, refreshments and leather seats.
However, whether the shuttle bus service will make headway in the Chinese market is still to be seen. Leap Transit has suspended operations after receiving a cease-and-desist order from local regulator due to a lack of proper permits, which means the Didi Bus is also facing regulatory risks in China.
だが、このシャトルバスサービスが中国市場で成果を上げられるかは、まだわからない。Leap Transitは、適切な許可を得ていないとして、地元の取締官から停止命令を受けて運行を停止しているが、これはDidi Busもまた、中国国内で規制リスクに直面することを意味しているのである。
Liu Qing, president of Kuaidi, is still quite optimistic about the prospect of Didi Bus in China however. She argued that transport reform will come about in the same way that other changes have in China, saying that “before every new reform there are always contradictory voices, but history repeats, just as private dining replaced state-run cafeterias [in China].”
訳出文3行目「運転手」→「乗客」
訳出文4行目「1階」→「1回」
訂正してお詫びいたします。