Didi Kuaidi to be the first legal ride-hailing app in China

Didi Kuaidi is poised to become the first legal ride-hailing service in Shanghai, under a pilot programme launched by the city's government designed to bring online private taxi services into the economic mainstream.

上海推出试点计划，以将在线私人租车服务纳入主流经济中，因此滴滴快的将成为上海首个合法打车服务。

China Investment Corp intends to invest in the company as part of financing round, according to a person familiar with the situation. The CIC typically takes stakes in projects deemed to be strategic to the country.

另外，消息人士称，中投公司打算参与滴滴的融资，而中投一般投资的是对中国有战略意义的项目。

The group said discussions with Shanghai authorities began in May and the new arrangement would begin with an initiative to register all drivers on the same information platform used by other conventional taxi drivers.

滴滴称，与上海政府的谈判开始于5月份，新计划将随同一项让所有司机在传统出租车司机使用的同一信息登记平台上登记的政策一起实施。

Steven Wang, the company’s head of strategy, said Didi Kuaidi "reached a comprehensive co-operation agreement with the Shanghai government". "We are co-operating with the government so it stands to reason that we are in the process of finding a legal path," he added.

该公司战略主管史蒂芬·王表示，滴滴快的"与上海市政府达成了全面合作协议"，"我们将与政府合作，因此有理由相信我们将找到合法经营的途径"。

Mr Wang said the proposed agreement involved greater sharing of information on drivers and passengers with the government, mandating that all data servers had to be stationed in China and transportation sensitive data must be "uploaded to regulators" and could not be transferred abroad. He added that companies that complied with the agreement would be required to have an internet content provider licence.

拟议中的协议涉及让政府更多分享司机和乘客信息，要求数据服务器必须位于中国境内，敏感的交通数据必须"上传给监管机构"，不得传输到境外。他还称，签署协议的公司将要求持有互联网内容提供商牌照。

"We have been working with the Shanghai government to find a total solution," said Mr Wang. "Didi Kuaidi is the only company that satisfies all the criteria."

他表示："我们在与上海市政府合作寻找全面的解决方案，滴滴快的是唯一满足所有条件的公司。"

Private taxis are illegal in China and local governments in particular have fought against the encroachment by Didi and Uber.

私人租车在中国是非法的，地方政府一直反对滴滴和Uber的进入。

However, China’s political leaders have made clear that they see potential benefits from such services, including the reduction of traffic congestion and pollution.

然而，中国政治领导人清楚，这种服务有好处，可降低交通拥堵和环境污染。

Mr Wang said he had no information on whether the company’s drivers had been exempted from police raids on private taxis last month in which several dozen drivers reportedly had their cars impounded and police had threatened to revoke their licences.

王先生称，上月警察上路查私人租车服务，很多司机的车被扣，警察威胁吊销他们的驾照，但他公司的司机是否能幸免不得而知。

"Of the five criterion mentioned, it is quite obvious that Uber is the only company that will have trouble in legalisation, apparently, as its servers are overseas," said Zhang Xu, an expert on ride-hailing apps at Analysys, the Beijing-based internet consultancy.

北京互联网咨询公司Analysys的打车软件专家Zhang Xu表示："提到的5个标准可以看出，Uber是唯一在合法化上可能遇到麻烦的公司，因为该公司的服务器在海外。"

Uber said it did not see "any hurdles" complying with the conditions, adding: "We believe the Shanghai government will support Uber as a tech-driven internet company bringing innovation to the city as much as they support other players in the market."

Uber称，在满足这些条件上没有任何障碍，"我们认为上海市政府将支持Uber作为科技驱动互联网公司给该城市带来的创新，如同他们支持其他竞争者一样。"