'Hitch' car pools to reduce traffic problems

With Spring Festival just days away, tens of millions of Chinese and their pets will travel back to their hometowns for family reunions, creating a travel crush that is dubbed the world's largest annual human migration.

Undoubtedly, the collective rush to head home will put a huge strain on public transport. With this in mind, Didi Chuxing, the country's largest ride-hailing company, is offering an alternative by leveraging its technology and capital.

The Beijing-based company said it will spend 30 million yuan ($4.76 million) in February to encourage people to travel home via car-pooling services. This intercity ride-sharing service, called Hitch, matches up car owners who are willing to offer a ride with those needing a lift, in the hope of making trips to their hometown more convenient and cost-effective.