Taxi hailing apps

[abcdefg]

Was wondering what taxi hailing apps people like best in Beijing. Will be visiting briefly in a couple weeks and one of those might be handy (Android phone.)

 

I still do taxis the old fashioned way here in Kunming when I'm not riding the bus. Have heard about Didi Dache 滴滴打车 but have not tried it. Seems to have a rather invasive list of required permissions. Didn't see a thread on the subject.

 

Thanks for your thoughts.

[gato]

Both Didi and Uber work well in Shanghai. Should work well in Beijing as well.

[ChTTay]

Everyone I know I'm Beijing uses dididache 滴滴打车. Even foreign friends don't use Uber really, unless they know there some deal going on that makes it ridiculously cheap.

Personally I find that most of the time just hailing them is fine but it depends on where you are and the time. If the subway is running I pretty much always just take that anyway.

[abcdefg]

Thanks, @Gato and @ChTTay. That confirms what I thought. Sounds like I need to download and install 滴滴打车。Some of my Kunming friends use it here and swear by it. I've just been lazy about trying to figure it out.

 

Have installed a Beijing subway map.

[Saxondale]

滴滴打车 - more cars, huge range of services, more expensive, accepts wechat pay (this is what i use)

Uber - cheaper, less cars, doesn't accept wechat pay

[abcdefg]

Thanks, @Thrice 12. I also use Wechat Pay. it will be convenient if it and Didi work together easily.

 

My friend and I were in Shanghai last month and during peak evening hours it seemed lots of the taxis (perhaps most) were not just cruising; they were already committed to trips arranged by one or another of these apps. You could not just count on waving them down, you had to arrange the ride by using your phone. We two Kunming rubes had to just stand around and wait a real long time.

 

Made me feel kind of stupid. I resolved to do what was needed ahead of time for Beijing.

[skylee]

How about the invasive list of permissions required?

[abcdefg]

When I begin to install it, I get this message from Baidu:

 

Do you want to install this application? It will get access to:

 

It can directly call phone numbers. Read device state and identity. Read and edit your text messages. Send and receive text messages. Take pictures and videos. Record audio. Modify your contacts. Add or modify calendar events and send email to guests without owner's knowledge. Read all calendar information including confidential files. Read SD card contents. Modify or delete SD card contents. Disable your screen lock. Use accounts on the device. Add or remove accounts, create accounts and set passwords. Close other apps, retrieve running applications, run at startup. Display system level alerts. Prevent phone from sleeping. Adjust your wallpaper size and set new wallpaper. Change your audio settings. Read sync settings, read sync statistics, toggle sync on and off. Delete all application cache data, install shortcuts, measure app storage space, modify system settings, send sticky broadcasts, uninstall shortcuts.

 

It's a little like a patient reading the full detailed prescribing information for an antibiotic that he hasn't taken before. Gives one pause, whether or not it is really warranted.

 

-------------------

Footnote: The actual company name now seems to be 滴滴出行。

[gato]

Is that typical for Android apps?

[Shelley]

Is that typical for Android apps?

 

No, but each app has its own list of permissions.

 

Usually the list asks for permission for things that are sensible for the app you are installing. Sometimes though there things that you think why do they need that?

 

I am no expert with android, but I have been using android for a few years and from experience well written and well behaved apps only ask for what they need.

 

That list above seems excessive, maybe they just want to cover all eventualities.

[大肚男]

During my last trip in China (this past April), we used Uber in Beijing, Xi'An and Changsha.

 

We never had to wait more than 5 minutes for a car to show up, and it was much cheaper than taxi.

 

A surprising benefit to using ride sharing apps is that it eliminates the issue of the driver not knowing where you are going, for example we were trying to get to Li Qun Beijing Duck restaurant, and 5 cabs did not know how to get there, which forced us to use Uber, and we started using it exclusively after that.

[abcdefg]

That list above seems excessive, maybe they just want to cover all eventualities.

 

That was what I thought too, Shelley, being no stranger to the CYA (cover your ass) wording of permission forms for invasive medical/surgical procedures and "possible side effect" disclosures for new "wonder drug" medications.

 

"If you take Shazamofloxin Hydrocloride at full dose, you may lose your hearing and go blind, your kidneys and liver may stop functioning, you may bleed profusely from all body orifices, your white blood corpuscles may drop by half and and your hair may irreversibly fall out." 

 

Is that typical for Android apps?

 

Not really, Gato. This list is a bit longer than most.

 

In any case, I went ahead and installed it. Will try it out here in Kunming later today. Would like to get familiar with its quirks, if any, before the Beijing trip. Would like to become proficient in its use.

 

A surprising benefit to using ride sharing apps is that it eliminates the issue of the driver not knowing where you are going, for example we were trying to get to Li Qun Beijing Duck restaurant, and 5 cabs did not know how to get there, which forced us to use Uber, and we started using it exclusively after that.

 

I like hearing that, 大肚男。Makes it sound even more useful. Especially for a visitor not terribly familiar with the detailed geography of the city. In Kunming I can direct a driver to my destination and tell him what big, well-known store or bridge crossing it is near. But I will be at their mercy in Beijing.

[vellocet]

There's a separate app?  Who knew?  I and everyone I've seen always used the icon from inside Wechat.  It's inside Me -> Wallet. 

[abcdefg]

@Vellocet -- When I look there I don't find a taxi app. What am I doing wrong? Here's my setup:

 

Wechat >> me >> Wallet >> In Wallet at the top I have a choice of: Quick Pay, Balance, and Cards. Farther down the page, I can select any of these10 functions: Transfer, Mobile Top Up, Wealth, QQ Coins, Utilities, Public Services, Card Repay, Red Packet, Go Dutch, and Tencent Charity.

 

Which one is for requesting a taxi?

 

Edit: Hmm, OK. Scratch that (stupid) question.

 

I went even farther down just now into a zone marked "powered by third party operators" and found it. Options there are "Order taxi, Rail & Flights, Specials, Movie Tickets, and Group Buy. The "order taxi" button takes you to the "diditaxi.com.cn" website.

 

Anyone out there use the Movie Tickets feature? Some of my Kunming friends are big fans of the Group Buy feature, if that's the same as 团购。