China’s Ministry of Transport is asking ride-hailing companies to strictly ban all trips leaving Hubei province or entering Beijing amid the country’s continuing fight against the coronavirus epidemic.
The notice comes as Wuhan, the epicenter of the Covid-19 outbreak, and its neighboring cities in Hubei have been locked down since before the start of the Lunar New Year holiday more than a month ago. It also comes after a former county official recently released from prison who was diagnosed with the coronavirus left Hubei province to travel to Beijing. Authorities said they launched an investigation into the case.
China’s biggest ride-hailing provider Didi said on January 23, the first day of Wuhan’s lockdown, that it was suspending intercity ride-hailing operations. Then it said the next day that it was also suspending all ride-hailing operations within Wuhan.