Beijing has launched a crackdown on private drivers using cab-hailing apps, citing safety concerns. The ban is aimed at private citizens taking advantage of increasingly popular taxi hailing apps, including Alibaba-backed Kuaidi Dache and Tencent’s Didi Dache. While the apps are still available for licensed drivers, the announcement has effectively snuffed out private ride-sharing in China. Authorities will be on the lookout for private drivers using the apps from this month, according to a statement on the Transport Ministry’s website on Tuesday. The company recently launched a pilot service titled ‘People’s Uber’ in Beijing, as an experimental not-for-profit private service.