With the continuous deterioration of the Chinese economy, various industries are facing a downturn. A large number of unemployed individuals are turning to low-threshold industries such as food delivery, courier services, and ride-hailing. However, with the influx of many workers, incomes have also taken a significant hit. The latest data shows that in Guangzhou, daily ride-hailing orders have decreased, leading to a daily revenue drop to 311.63 yuan.
According to a report by Guangzhou Daily, the monthly “Guangzhou Network Reservation Taxi Market Operation Management Monitoring Information Report” released by the Guangzhou Municipal Transportation Bureau reveals that from September 2023 to May 2024, the number of registered online ride-hailing vehicles in Guangzhou has increased from 97,400 to 121,200, and the number of registered drivers has increased from 129,100 to 138,500.
During the same period, from December last year to May this year, the daily average number of ride-hailing orders decreased from 14.21 to 12.22, and the daily average revenue dropped from 343.34 yuan to 311.63 yuan. This means that even with the drivers working “non-stop for a whole month,” their monthly income is less than ten thousand yuan when not factoring in vehicle operation costs.
This news has sparked attention online.
Internet technology blogger and Weibo influencer “Internet Gossip Sister” commented, “It’s getting harder and harder to make a living in the ride-hailing industry. To earn over ten thousand a month, driving around the city all day requires tremendous dedication! It might have been doable before, but now, it’s really tough!”
Race car driver and Weibo influencer “Wu Pei” expressed, “It’s like a new ‘Rickshaw Boy,’ at least the rickshaw pullers back then could support their families. I wonder how the situation is in other cities, does anyone know?”
Car blogger and Weibo influencer “Dong Jian Jia Dian” remarked, “Jingdezhen had previously warned against entering the ride-hailing industry, with saturated capacity and each vehicle averaging less than 20 orders per day. Maybe driving for Didi now is worse than being a designated driver. Too many people have entered the ride-hailing industry, and driving a ride-hailing car is more comfortable than delivering food. There are also more female ride-hailing drivers now, which was almost unheard of before… Drivers wanting to earn ten thousand a month probably have to work over ten hours a day.”