Didi Driver Requirements in Perth, Western Australia

The Chinese ridesharing service Didi has been around since 2018 in Australia with Melbourne and Geelong as its first cities. The company which describes itself as low-fare rideshare seems to be quite successful in its first two cities.

To be able to compete in Australia which previously had several global rideshare companies such as Uber and Ola Cabs, Didi tried to be different. One way is to reduce their rides prices under the compressor.

Also, to increase the number of drivers who join their platform, Didi cut the commission fee from 20% to 5.5% so that drivers can earn more, although it will be ended with the arrival of the Didi Advanced program.

In addition to this program, they also offer its drivers with various incentives such as guaranteed earnings, trailblazer and referral rewards.

It didn’t take long for Didi to decide on expanding its service area, on March 2019 they opened their services in Newcastle, skip Sydney which is the capital of New South Wales. About four months later, they expanded their services again by opening Didi Express service in Brisbane Queensland.

Unfortunately, Didi is not yet available in Perth or other cities in Western Australia at this time. We also have not been informed when they can open their rideshare service here. As a preparation, you can prepare the following required documents to be able to directly register later when they open their services in this city.

When Didi will be available in Western Australia?

Didi officially launches in Western Australia on November 4th, 2019 with Perth as the only city where you can drive and pickup Didi passengers in the state. Perth is the seventh city where the Chinese ride-hail app is available in Australia. Before going to WA, Didi was unveiled at the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast in September.

Driver Requirements

If you are interested in becoming a Didi Express driver in Perth when they arrive later, you need to prepare the following conditions so that your registration can be faster later. Most of them are regulatory requirements from the Western Australia Government, so they are not much different from other companies’ rideshare requirements.

1. Unrestricted Driver Licence
   To be a rideshare driver in Western Australia you must have a Full Driver License that has no restrictions as in provisional licenses. In addition, you also need to complete your license with the F or T extension that allows you to provide a ride-booking service.
2. Proof of ID
   Didi needs your personal identity to be able to process your application, this document can be an Australian passport, citizenship certificate or birth certificate. However, if you do not have the document and decide to use other documents such as a non-Australian passport or Immicard, you may need to conduct a VEVO check to take a look at your visa status that allows you to work.

Car Requirements

The following are some vehicle documents that you need to prepare to be able to join as Didi drivers when they finally come to Perth.

1. Vehicle Inspection
   Your vehicle is required to pass the annual vehicle inspection at Approved Inspection Station (AIS) if you want to use it to rideshare business. Annual inspection is needed before you apply for PTV authorization.
2. 3F Motor Injury Insurance
   Your Exisiting MII (Motor Injury Insurance) needs to be upgraded to 3F class. Since it’s also a requirement to get PTV authorization, you can upgrade it when applying for authorization.
3. PTV Authorisation
   To be able to operate as a charter vehicle, including as a rideshare driver, Department of Transport Western Australia requires you to hold a Passenger Transport Vehicle (PTV) authorisation with an On-demand Charter (OD-C) category.

   Before applying for PTV authorization, you must have some requirements that we have explained before such as vehicle inspection and 3F MII. In addition, your vehicle must also be validly registered without any outstanding registration fees.

4. Vehicle Insurance
   Your car will need to have an existing third-party damage or comprehensive insurance policy, and you should be stated as an insured driver.

Payment Information

Like Uber, Didi pays his driver-partners weekly. To be able to get paid, you need to prepare these requirements.

1. Bank Details
   To receive direct deposits from Didi, you need your BSB code and your bank account number.
2. ABN
   Australian Business Number or ABN is a regulatory requirement for all rideshare drivers, including Didi in Australia. You can apply for an ABN number online via the official Australian Business Register website.