Govts should leave cab-calling apps to market, and act only as supervisors

NATIONAL MOBILE CAB-CALLING APPS such as Didi and Uber still face problems as many local governments impose fines on their drivers. Besides, some local governments are developing their own mobile cab-calling apps using State capital, which makes the competition unfair, says an editorial in Beijing News:

Some local governments say it is difficult to supervise Uber and Didi, although their taxi services have proved a success. Even if the local governments are right, the correct solution lies in better regulation of the market, instead of the governments joining the market.

In a market economy, the government is supposed to make fair market rules and ensure they are applied. In other words, local governments should act at referees, not become market players themselves.