Uber, rivals offer China commuters free rides in fight for market share

Beijing

JESSICA Yang switched from taxis to chauffeured cars for the commute into her Beijing office as rides have become cheaper; these days, she is even getting free trips, as Uber Technologies Inc and its local rival Didi Kuaidi offer perks to win customers.

The 41-year-old, who doesn't drive, said: "I just go for whatever is cheaper. There is no loyalty here. Almost all these private chauffeured cars are better than Beijing's dirty and smelly taxis."

Uber and the clones it has spawned are widely viewed as the next big thing for the tech industry, and venture capital and hedge funds are lining up to bet on their prospects. In China, the race to win over hundreds of millions of paying commuters has pushed companies to put market share before profitability - behaviour common d…