Bicycle-sharing programs are becoming popular in such cities as Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen. And now car-sharing services are springing up across China as well. The biggest operator in Shanghai says the number of rental outlets increased five-fold over the last year.

Commuters are just an app away from a shared vehicle they can drive freely in the city.

Of course, they still have to provide ID information, proof of a driver's license and a deposit.

The cars are available at parking lots of hotels, downtown shopping malls or transportation hubs for pick-up.

Shanghai resident Ding Jiabo came to this car rental outlet at the Shanghai Railway Station, to move stuff into a new apartment. It was Ding's first time to use the service, and he has his own concerns.

"I'm worried if the previous user made some damage while using the car but didn't report it, I might be blamed and have to take the responsibility for that user. That would be hard to explain," said Ding.

Employees from the car-sharing company said they have inspectors check the cars from time to time, and all of the vehicles are covered by insurance.

"If it's just some minor damage, the insurance is covered, and users don't need to take responsibility for that," Lyu Zheguang, marketing director at Global Car Sharing & Rental, explained to a CGTN reporter.

"However, if it's a car accident and it causes injuries, then we will ask traffic police to take charge."

There are five car-sharing companies currently operating in Shanghai, with around 5,000 cars available. Renting a car from those companies costs around 30 yuan an hour, much cheaper than hailing a taxi.

Foreigners who want to use the service need to have a driver's license that is recognized in China. The State Information Center issued a report last year that said for every shared car on the road, 13 fewer private cars are sold.