On November 3, Beijing E-Town saw the launch of the trial service of the "DiDi Smart Minibus" across a 15-square-kilometer area in its core zone. This new service, jointly introduced by Beijing E-Town and DiDi, combines the convenience of ride-hailing with the affordability of public transport. During the trial period, the fare is 4 yuan per person. Once a passenger requests a ride, the system assigns a nearby vehicle. Each minibus can carry up to 25 passengers.

The smart minibus features a bright orange exterior bearing the words "DiDi Smart Minibus" (滴滴智能小巴). The interior is simple and clean, with 12 seats and a maximum capacity of 25 passengers. The vehicles operate daily from 7:00 to 22:00, covering the morning and evening rush hours as well as the busiest daytime travel periods. Every passenger can open DiDi's app or mini-program, enter the pickup and drop-off locations, and select "Smart Minibus" (智能小巴) to book a ride. The system then automatically identifies the nearest pickup point and dispatches a nearby vehicle. Once passengers are on board, the driver verifies their mobile phone numbers before departure.

The service uses physical and virtual stops, with more than 400 designated stops across the area for the trial service. Powered by back-end algorithms, the system assigns nearby vehicles within an area of about 4 to 5 square kilometers around each pickup location and combines requests from passengers heading in the same direction to create a single route. Drivers receive instructions in real time and pick up passengers in sequence, thereby ensuring routes that better match travel demand.

During the trial period, the smart minibus charges a flat fare of 4 yuan per person, with no meter and no distance-based charges. Passengers traveling in groups do not need to book separate vehicles, as a single minibus can pick everyone up together, making group travel more convenient.

(Source: Beijing Daily)