DiDi completes 7.43 bln rides in 2017

BEIJING, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese ride-hailing giant DiDi Chuxing completed 7.43 billion rides for 450 million users in over 400 cities across China last year, the company announced Monday.

The record high number of rides, which does not include bike-sharing and car owners' services, equates to about five rides for each person in China.

Over 1.05 billion seats were shared via DiDi's core carpooling services, according to the company.

DiDi attributed the steady growth in rides to its use of the latest technology, including machine learning, big data and AI technology, which enable DiDi to predict and match demand at various times and locations.

Enhanced technology and location services eliminated the need for 2.1 billion phone calls between drivers and passengers prior to pick-up, compared with 2016.

A series of driving safety initiatives launched by DiDi last year helped reduce the traffic accident rate on its platform by 21 percent year on year.

The platform also helped the taxi industry improve efficiency by enabling taxi drivers to offer more than 1.1 billion rides for passengers on DiDi's platform, according to the company.

DiDi offers up to 25 million rides each day through more than 21 million registered drivers and car owners, and the company is expanding its business from one-stop mobility services to car owner services such as insurance as well as helping cities build efficient and eco-friendly transportation systems. Enditem