I reckon there is a 50/50 chance of landing in a really crap, even dangerous and badly maintained taxi, driven by a complete lunatic…
Funny but true. When a clean/new taxi shows up (usually a late model VW Passat) it feels like a treat, otherwise it’s a crap shoot. +smoking. I’ve used Uber a couple of times, but can’t remember if they operate a no-smoking policy (drivers included).
I don’t see it catching on for a long long while, if ever, and rumours of a ban aside. The WeChat app immediately trounces Uber unless you absolutely have to not be seen in a taxi, and I doubt there are enough folks out there who give enough of a damn for that to be a thing. Otherwise drivers are still affordable enough that they’re a better option. Coincidentally I was out for a meal last night and the person driving ended up drinking enough not to be able to drive home. We asked the restaurant to call a driver, and 10 minutes later we were on our way home in the car we’d driven in with. If that’s possible, Uber can’t compete in a Chinese market. Not to mention that overall their promotion here has been dire. And I still haven’t been able to successfully link my AliPay account, so someone’s asleep on that job too.