Chinese car-hailing platform Didi Chuxing has quietly resumed its car-pooling services at the weekend, with major functions undergoing a redesign, aimed at ensuring the safety of passengers.
The service has been halted since May 12 after a 21-year-old flight attendant reportedly died at the hands of a 26-year-old driver in China's Henan province on May 6. The flight attendant had booked a ride through Didi and was allegedly killed by the driver who was also found dead in a river by police, according to Chinese news reports[1].
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One modification made in the name of safety has seen the removal of the app's "socialization" feature.
Didi has been criticized for the socialization feature on its car-pooling services as passengers and drivers were allowed to tag and comment on each other.
Instead of commenting on the services, many users found that they had been tagged with phrases such as "pretty girl" on the app by the drivers.
Didi has pulled all personalized tags and profile features in its redesigned interface and drivers will no longer be able to pick up riders based on their tags.
In the new app, both drivers and