Under-pressure taxi drivers seek to boost earnings, offer massage services, fit in-car disco balls and stage on-the-road singing competitions
3-MIN READ3-MIN ListenFran Luin BeijingPublished: 9:00am, 9 Jun 2026In the face of increasing market saturation, China’s ride-sharing and taxi drivers are competing for passengers by offering extra, sometimes quirky, services, from selling snacks to giving haircuts.
In China, ride-sharing driver, delivery rider and courier are said to be the three most popular jobs sought by the unemployed.
China’s ride-sharing market witnessed a boom around 2015 and by 2024, China had 7.5 million licensed ride-sharing drivers.
Meanwhile, the market has become increasingly saturated.
The transportation bureau of Shenzhen in southern China’s Guangdong province, for example, warned in April of the ride-sharing market’s saturation.
According to the bureau, the average daily number of ride-hailing orders completed per vehicle was about 13 in April.
Meanwhile, the price per kilometre offered by ride-sharing platforms also kept decreasing. In some cities outside the rush hour, the price per kilometre can be less than one yuan (US$0.15).
