World's largest cab service suspends carpooling post second rape and murder

Didi will suspend its hitch online services nationwide and re-evaluate its business model and service logic. Representational Image/Didi

China's largest ride-hailing service provider Didi Chuxing has fired two executives and suspended its hitch carpooling service from Monday after the second rape and murder of a female passenger in three months allegedly by its drivers, the company said on Sunday. The move comes after a female passenger was killed on Friday only three months after another Didi driver allegedly killed a flight attendant.

Didi will suspend its hitch online services nationwide and re-evaluate its business model and service logic, a statement issued by the ride hailing firm said Sunday. The hitch ride sharing function allows car owners to provide taxi services. The company yesterday dismissed Huang Jieli, general manager for the hitch business, and Huang Jinhong, vice-president for client services, from their duties.

On Friday, the 20-year-old woman in Yueqing of Zhejiang province in eastern China, was raped and killed allegedly by her driver Zhong. She reportedly sent a message to a friend asking for help before the contact was lost. Zhong who was arrested had confessed to raping and murdering his passenger, police said, adding that the body has been recovered and the investigation is ongoing. The company said Zhong had no previous criminal record, but admitted there had been a previous complaint made against him. A previous passenger said the driver had allegedly taken them to a remote place and followed them after they left the car. "The incident shows the many deficiencies with our customer service processes," the statement said adding that it was "too high a cost to pay".

Didi suspended and changed its Didi Hitch service in May this year following the rape and murder of a 21-year-old flight attendant by a Didi driver in Zhengzhou. Didi's slow response to emergency calls has been widely blamed in the Zhejiang murder case, the second in a row after a flight attendant was killed by her "hitch" service driver on May 5, it said.

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