Didi pulls safety shields from cabs as Covid-19 threat eases in China

Didi Chuxing says it’s removing protective plastic screens from its fleet. They were initially put in place more than three months ago to help prevent the coronavirus from spreading between drivers and passengers.

In a Weibo post, the Chinese ride-hailing giant said it spent about 100 million yuan (US$14.1 million) adding the safety equipment to cars in 330 cities nationwide. Citing reduced pandemic risk, Didi says the program -- available free-of-charge to participating drivers -- has ended in most places, with the exception of Heilongjiang. The northeast province, which borders Russia, saw a burst of Covid-19 cases in April. Drivers across the country will continue to wear masks and take their temperatures, the company says.

Didi experienced a slump in riders during the height of the public health crisis, but the CEO said this week that hailing orders this month have recovered to levels seen in the same period last year. The company also recently started hiring truck drivers as part of its foray into the on-demand freight transport business.