A service in southern China offering designated drivers for intoxicated patrons is facing severe criticism for its policy of exclusively recruiting female chauffeurs, which has raised safety concerns for these drivers.
The Guangdong-based company Tiane Jiadao, founded last year, launched an advertising campaign at a Guangzhou subway station promoting its services with the claim that “female drivers drive more carefully”.
The advertisement specified that the company was seeking female drivers aged 22 to 45 who had held Class C light motor vehicle driver’s licences for at least two years.
The advertisement offered its drivers an annual salary of 300,000 yuan (US$42,000), nearly tripling the average annual salary in Guangdong province, which was 109,200 yuan in 2023-24.
