The Lens: Chinese cities have too many drivers, not enough demand in the ride-hailing market

Song Chenming, German Swiss International School

As China’s ride-hailing market becomes more saturated, the negative impact of this phenomenon is now becoming increasingly apparent.

But first things first, why are millions of people still rushing towards this market every year? According to The Global Times, this industry’s low entry threshold is the main reason. Simply put, as long as a person can drive, they can enter the ride-hailing market.

However, this trend is not just a slowdown; it’s a steep decline. As the market saturates, drivers’ earnings have plummeted.

The Global Times reports that to earn the same as they did three years ago, drivers now have to put in an extra two hours of driving. And with demand not keeping pace with supply, drivers have fewer passengers each day.

Aside from the obvious consequence of shrinking incomes, traffic congestion is also a significant issue. As drivers get fewer and fewer orders, they are forced to wait on the side of the streets. As a result, there is an increase in traffic congestion in cities around China.

What solutions could China implement to help this crowded industry?

Many Chinese cities are relying on statistical analysis. They “dynamically manage and regulate according to the number of orders and the characteristics of the city every month,” Ji Xuehong, director of automotive industry at the North China University of Technology, told China Daily.

Meanwhile, many cities are still being cautious about limiting ride-hailing drivers due to the potential negative consequences.

Perhaps the best solution is indirect. Cities could better manage and promote their public transport and take the pressure off the over-saturated ride-hailing market. This would help the environment, too.

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In a world-first, Chinese doctors said they transplanted a gene-edited pig’s liver into a patient. Anhui Medical University’s First Affiliated Hospital said a 71-year-old man with severe liver cancer received the organ in May.

A week later, “the patient was able to walk freely ... and liver function had returned to normal”, the university said.

China’s organ transplant ethics committee approved the study because the patient had a large tumour in his liver. The tumour was not responding to other treatments and was at risk of rupturing.

In March, a US patient became the first in the world to receive a genetically modified pig’s kidney transplant. The patient, who had been suffering end-stage kidney failure, died suddenly in early May. The Boston hospital where the procedure was carried out said there was “no indication” that his death was due to the transplant.

A second US patient, who received a gene-edited pig’s kidney in April, is still alive. But the complexity of the liver poses a greater challenge than kidneys and hearts. This has led US researchers to suggest that its function “is too powerful” for animal-to-human transplants, Anhui Medical University said.

The recent successes have raised hopes that transplants of genetically edited organs from pigs could offer a solution to global organ shortages, with demand more significant than the supply of human organs.

Still, there remain ethical concerns about the practice, including the possibility of organ rejection and the potential for disease transmission.

Staff writers

Research and discuss

• Why are hospitals working to perfect pig-to-human organ transplants?

• What are some risks of the procedures and potential ethical concerns of using pigs in this manner?