DEADLY MOVE

A 23-year-old woman surnamed Che died in Changsha, Hunan province, after jumping from the window of a moving van she had called through the app Huolala, echoing previous tragedies from ride-sharing app Didi Chuxing several years ago.

The police determined that Che jumped after quarreling with the driver, surnamed Zhou, on why he veered from the app’s suggested route three times. Many women sympathized with Che, as the route was isolated and the drive took place at night. Some internet users also commented on how they were forced to pay for extra services during their drive.

Some Huolala drivers, though, sympathized with Zhou, because the suggested route is often impractical due to traffic, and drivers make little money due to the low fares on the app and must charge for extra services. Huolala has promised to improve safety features, including mandatory voice and video recording during the drive, and a “panic button” for calling the police.