(Yicai Global) Aug. 28 – Didi Chuxing Technology, the largest ride-hailing service in China and the world, has stirred wide public concern after two murder-rapes of women riders by its drivers in three months.

Didi met with the national transport ministry and other agencies on Aug. 26 and officials in several cities and provinces have now also called for talks with the online taxi firm, which came under great pressure to reform yesterday.

Local governments in over ten cities and provinces --- Guangdong, Zhejiang, Shenzhen and Chongqing among them -- have already arranged meetings with Didi personnel in their areas and have demanded changes, they said yesterday.

Among the municipal (provincial) administrations that have met with representatives from Beijing-based Didi, those from Guangdong province and the cities of Shenzhen and Chongqing warned of discontinuation of Didi's app, withdrawal of its business license and interruption of its internet service if reform is ineffective, the online tech news portal of Sohu.Com reported today. Shenzhen officials gave Didi until the end of September to make good.

Beijing officials are also pushing for all ride-sharing drivers to be equipped with China's self-developed BeiDou Navigation Satellite System for security monitoring,  Yicai Global also reported yesterday.

After the latest vicious attack in the eastern city of Wenzhou on Aug. 24, Didi announced the suspension of its Hitch ride-sharing service nationwide, effective yesterday.

Records from just one Beijing court show multiple cases of rape, sexual assault and theft by Didi drivers over the past three years, Yicai Global reported yesterday. Before the advent of institutionalized ride-hailing services several years ago, lurid accounts abounded of the predatory behavior of China's illegal 'black taxi' drivers.

Many of these have now found legitimacy under the Didi umbrella, but it seems that with some, the leopard truly cannot change its spots.

The carcasses of zombie shared bikes that now clutter the nation's cities and incidents such as these with ride-hailing expose the dark downside to the explosive growth of a new sector.

Editor: Ben Armour