In China's small towns, ride-hailing services bring opportunities

Wang Yongdong is a captain for two local ride-hailing driver teams in Zitong county of Southwest China's Sichuan province.

"I registered as a car-hailing driver in 2016. Back then, there were not many drivers in the town, and the number of orders was not large, only about 10 a day," Wang said.

Now, the two teams with a total of more than 100 drivers fulfill around 2,000 orders per day.

As ride-hailing services grow popular, the trade has provided more employment opportunities for residents in Zitong where options are limited. "Driving for ride-hailing services provides a flexible schedule and decent income. It's a good choice," Wang said.

The lucrative business has even attracted residents from nearby villages and towns.

Ride-hailing services have become popular in many county towns across China, offering job opportunities to locals.

Cui Wenbin, a driver from Jinzhou district in Dalian, Liaoning province, starts his daily routine at 6 am, receiving orders on his mobile phone on the way to the Jinpu New Area, a trip of more than 30 kilometers.

"I didn't have much education and used to work in a factory, where the income was low and the work schedule was rigid," Cui said. Since he registered as a driver in 2015, his income has increased and he has more time for himself.

"I can accompany my wife to the hospital and help my parents with errands in the morning, and it doesn't affect my work. It's great," he added.

Cui has also noticed more people in Jinzhou have become car-hailing drivers, especially those in their 40s and 50s. It is an attractive job for people unable to find opportunities outside the town.

County towns are the focus of China's urbanization and rural revitalization drive.

Last year, the central authorities issued a document which called for "improving the quality of county town development and better satisfying needs of farmers to find jobs and take roots in county towns." The ride-hailing services have brought new opportunities for new citizens of the counties.

As ride-hailing continues to expand in small towns, it is likely more drivers like Wang and Cui will emerge, providing an important service to their communities and contributing to the growth of the industry as a whole.