IT’S D-DAY FOR DIDI

Chinese ride-sharing giant begins services in Geelong today

CHINA’S Uber alternative will bring the battle for global ride-sharing dominance to Geelong today, taking on Australian customers for the first time.

Chinese ride-sharing giant DiDi — which has more than 450 million users across 400 cities in China — will use Geelong as a testing ground for its entry into the Australian market.

“This is a beta-operation that will inform the national launch later in the year,” DiDi Mobility (Australia) State Manager Abigail Holman said.

“A beta-operation allows us to test the app, seek driver and rider responses and adapt the product.

“We’ve chosen Geelong after months of market research because of the supportive local government here, the vibrant start-up scene, and it actually has the highest penetration of people using ride-share apps than any other city in Australia.”

The ride-sharing app will operate as far as Anglesea on the Surf Coast, up to Little River in the north and throughout all of the Bellarine.

The app will also offer special offers as part of its launch, with new customers receiving three free $20 trips, Ms Holman said.

DiDi has been recruiting drivers in Geelong for the past fortnight, but declined to say how many drivers were currently on board.

In a statement released last week, the company signalled its intent to spread further into the Australian market in coming months.

“As we prepare to roll out our service to broader regions in Australia in the next few months, Geelong is an ideal location to incubate DiDi Express,” the statement read.

“We look forward to using the insights from our Gee-