This app is based on Beijing's comprehensive taxi-calling hotline, 96106, which was started in 2013 and integrates all of the five local taxi companies and covers 66,000 taxis in town.
Unlike its commercial counterparts such as Uber, Didi and Kuaidi, Feidi promises to enroll professional taxis and licensed drivers only, excluding private cars. After a two-month trial, the app has been installed by 15,000 taxis and could reach the rest as early as this September.
The app is free. Passengers only pay for their transportation, just like they would after hailing a taxi on the street. Securing a ride by phoning 96106 costs at least five yuan every time, yet this traditional method will remain effective.
Customers of Feidi can pay by cash or via Alipay and WeChat payment, while rides via prevailing commercial apps don't accept cash.
In the mobile device boom and fierce market competitions, Feidi has its advantages.
First, Feidi enjoys more resources as it is backed by the official 96106, translating to easier access to the 66,000 taxis while the commercial apps have to build their taxi pools from scratch.
Second, according to a Beijing Times report, Feidi provides safer services as it only employs registered taxis and drivers, who have been screened by Beijing's taxi industry regulation authority.
Third, it offers diverse payment choices. For those who are unfamiliar with apps or online payment options, Feidi is more user-friendly than others.
Fourth, passengers using Feidi can accumulate reward points, which can serve as coupons in supermarkets. But it is unsure whether Feidi will promote further discounts or subsidies like Didi and Kuaidi. Didi in its early stages of operation refunded passengers 10 to 15 yuan and rewarded drivers 50 yuan when they took their first orders via the app.
But analysts say these features won't guarantee a success of Feidi as it goes into a market where its competitors have already seized the majority of passengers and drivers.
As a report from China National Radio points out, drivers are highly practical when faced with so many available app choices. "It doesn't matter which app it is," said Mr. Zhang, a taxi driver in Beijing, "If Feidi has more passengers and orders, I'll definitely use it. If it has no orders, I won't use it."
However, security and convenience are among customers' priorities when choosing a taxi-calling app, said the China National Radio article. As commercial apps offer less financially-favourable options, Feidi may be able to obtain a not-so-humble share of the market.
Source: CRI
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