Originally Posted by
JPDM
Most taxi drivers in Beijing now use an app. I guess it works a bit like Uber to the extent that the driver gets messages from people looking for taxis in the area where he is. People leave a voice message saying where they are going and while driving the driver is notified that someone is looking for a taxi 100 meters from here then they hear the message. Not sure how efficient it is compared to just flagging one down. It's not like the Beijing taxis are lacking clients.
IME the taxi apps are effectively meaningless during busy times because there is simply no incentive for drivers to detour to the St. Regis when hundreds of people are taxi hunting along the way.
Apps work a little better in Shanghai because price controls are less stringent (i.e. high bidders win), but this has caused a bit of an uproar because it undermines the government's pledge to keep taxis affordable for the 老百姓.