Didi Drivers Unfazed by Strict New Residency Regulations

Zhang Jianwei, who doubles as a Didi driver and home-moving worker, hangs his laundry in a yard near his home in northwestern Beijing on Nov. 13. Photo: Yang Yifan/Caixin

(Beijing) — The higher-ups make policies, while those beneath find ways around them.

Didi Chuxing drivers in Shanghai and Beijing can be excused if they clutch to this often-repeated mantra in the face of new rules that disqualify most of them from their jobs.

In regulations published last week, Beijing and Shanghai barred migrants as well as non-local vehicles from operating on online ride booking platforms like Didi, China’s ride-hailing juggernaut that dominates over 80% of the market. The Beijing laws take effect in May, while Shanghai has already begun clamping down on ineligible cars and drivers.