China says ride-hailing firms that compromise passenger safety are not needed

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China's transport ministry said on Monday that the country's ride-hailing sector had many firms and that companies that did not provide its passengers with effective safety precautions were not needed.

The ministry's remarks were made in a commentary published on its website after a Didi Chuxing passenger was raped and murdered by her driver, sparking social media outrage and forcing the firm to suspend its carpool service.

"If a company is not compliant and self-disciplined, and takes its passengers' lives as a game, the public will vote with their feet and the government will not just stand by," it said.

(Reporting by Brenda Goh; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)