Chinese ride-sharing platform Didi Chuxing announced Friday that it will resume its late-night services with stricter driver qualification requirements in its efforts to enhance passenger safety.
Under a trial special operation plan, DiDi's Express and Premier drivers may serve late-night trips only when they have a service record of over 6 months and 1,000 safe trips among other requirements, according to a statement from the company.
DiDi decided earlier this month to suspend its services between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. from September 8 to September 15 to prepare for safety upgrades.
The temporary suspension came after a young female passenger was murdered by her DiDi driver in August, the second such case in about three months, raising public concerns of the platform's safety.
The Ministry of Transport, as well as local authorities, have urged DiDi and its peers to take thorough safety checks of their services and called for more efficient and effective safety measures.
Besides enhanced emergency calls and stricter driver re-verification process, DiDi started trialing audio recording of trips nationally on September 8, which it said has proved effective in reducing verbal harassment, conflicts and in supporting fair dispute resolution, and now covers 78.9 percent of all trips.
As China's largest ride-hailing platform, DiDi offers a wide range of app-based transportation options for 550 million users worldwide, with about 30 million rides each day.
