Risk perception and intention to discontinue use of ride-hailing services in China: Taking the example of DiDi Chuxing

Abstract The rise of ride-hailing services has been phenomenal in China. However, few studies have explored the links between users’ perceptions of risk and their intention to discontinue using a ride-hailing services. Here we report on the development of an integrated model to investigate how perceptions of risk play into a person’s decision to stop using a particular ride-hailing service—taking the Chinese company, DiDi Chuxing as a working example. An online survey of 443 users was conducted and the results were subjected to data analysis. The highlights are: (1) users’ perception of physical risk is the most important factor negatively affecting users’ trust in drivers; (2) users’ trust in drivers has a positive effect on users’ trust in the ride service platform and their attitude towards the platform; users’ trust in the platform positively affects their attitude towards the platform; (3) users’ trust in the platform and attitude towards it negatively affects their intention to discontinue using the service; (4) sex, age, and income differences have significant effects on users’ risk perception, trust and intention to discontinue use. The theoretical and practical implications of our results are also discussed.