New 8-hour rule for online ride-hailing is coming, and hourly wages in many places are close to the minimum standard

Starting from June 1, the Ministry of Public Security’s “Rules for the Determination of Fatigue Driving by Motor Vehicle Drivers” will be officially implemented, and drivers of online ride-hailing, taxis and other passenger transport will face a mandatory eight-hour driving limit.Driving for more than 8 hours in total in 24 hours is considered fatigue driving. At the same time, continuous driving should not exceed 4 hours during the day and 2 hours at night, and each break should be no less than 20 minutes.

The new regulations will be accurately verified through vehicle-mounted terminals, monitoring platforms and other data, bidding farewell to the past industry norm of "exchanging lives for money" by extending working hours.

Currently, online ride-hailing drivers generally operate overtime, but their incomes continue to decline, with hourly wages approaching the minimum wage in many places.

Data shows that in the first quarter of 2025, the proportion of vehicles operating for more than 8 hours per day in Hangzhou and Suzhou reached 52.72% and 47.1% respectively, and some drivers operated sports cars for more than 16 hours per day on average.

The hourly wage for online ride-hailing in Wuxi has dropped to 29.01 yuan, which is only about 25 yuan after deducting the platform’s commission, which is the same as the local minimum hourly wage. In Guangzhou, the income per kilometer has dropped from 3.46 yuan to 2.66 yuan. Drivers are trapped in the dilemma of "the more they travel, the less they make money."

Behind overtime work is the intensification of industry “involution” and market saturation.

In the past three years, online ride-hailing unit prices and average daily revenue have continued to decline in most cities, forcing drivers to work longer hours to maintain their income.

At the same time, the number of drivers is growing rapidly, and many places have issued market saturation warnings. However, the demand for flexible employment is still driving the influx of new people, further diluting orders and profits.

The new regulations aim to protect driver health and travel safety, but they also bring income challenges.

Experts point out that if the unit price and commission remain unchanged, the eight-hour driving limit may cause a significant drop in the income of some drivers.