(Yicai Global) Sept. 3 --Outrage over themurders ofthree young women ridersby Didi Chuxing drivershas ebbed, but therocky roadahead car-hailing companiesnowfacein consequence hasjustbegun. China willcomprehensivelyinspect all car-hailingfirmsinthe country from Sept. 5,arecentmeetingofitsMinistry of Transporthas decided.

Beijing-basedDidiChuxing Technologies, the world's largest ride-hailer,welcomesthe move and willfully cooperate, it said.Itwillstriveto improve its services and ensurepublicsafety, it added.A 20-year woman rider of its Hitch car-pooling service fell victim to rape and murder at the hands of a driver in the port city of Wenzhou on Aug. 24. Another Hitch driver killed a 21-year old flight attendant in the eastern city of Zhengzhou May 5. These incidents followed the May 2, 2016 killing of a 24-year old woman teacher in Shenzhen, also by a Didi driver.

Transportagencies, police and regulators in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Dongguan, Wuhan, Guiyang, Haikou, Suzhou and other cities have called in andgrilled Didi's localunitsoverpassengersafety, qualificationtooperate, management accountabilityanddriversecurityand background checks.

Regulatorsshifted their scrutiny ofDidi's Hitchplatform, which is cheaper and thus more popular than its regular services,toitsentireportfolioafterthe latest two killings.The MOT decisionaffectsnot onlytoDidi, but all online car-hailing companies.

Editor: Ben Armour