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Chinese call for tough regulation of car-sharing after Didi investor beaten by driver
China
CGTN

2018-04-30 21:08 GMT+8

Updated 2018-05-01 19:31 GMT+8

An investor in China’s Uber-like car-sharing behemoth says he was assaulted by a company driver, prompting calls for stricter industry regulation.

Zhang Huan, one of the shareholders of Didi, said he was attacked on Saturday by a Didi driver who believed a complaint had been filed against him.

On his WeChat account on Sunday, Zhang, founder of Shanghai Fengmi Investment and Management Company, said the problem arose when another Didi client was picked up instead of him.

The driver refused to cancel the order of Zhang, who said he was then punched.

Medical certificates reportedly show that Zhang’s left index finger was broken and his left eye bruised.

Zhang Huan received a medical check after the incident. /Weibo Photo

A suspect has been questioned by police, according to Zhang’s Weibo account.

Didi claimed they quickly blocked the driver’s account when they learned of the incident and apologized to Zhang.

However, the taxi-hailing giant said in a public statement that threats and insults delivered by Zhang aggravated the situation.

The businessman said he was sorry for the abusive language he used although he claimed that the call recording released by Didi was incomplete.

Zhang reportedly invested 1 million yuan in Didi in 2014. /Weibo Photo

The case has triggered debate on Weibo, the Chinese version of Twitter, over how to regulate the booming car-sharing market in China.

“The regulation of Didi is just nonsense. Registered plate numbers don’t conform with the real ones – that’s something I’ve noticed for so many times. Loopholes like this are irresponsible for passengers,” said one user @Zhangyinxiansheng.

“This is the consequence of monopoly,” said @sandlessbag.

Didi purchased Uber China in 2016, giving the former a virtual monopoly in China with an almost 90-percent share of the market.

Zhang reportedly invested 1 million yuan in Didi in 2014. However, he said he was just a passenger in this case. 

“Let’s respect the legal procedures and let the law decide,” he said.

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