BEIJING/SHANGHAI - Beijing and Shanghai regulated car-hailing services Wednesday, keeping most of the strict requirements seen in previous drafts of the new rules.

Both the city governments continue to require drivers to be official residents of their cities and drive locally registered vehicles, making it very difficult for people and vehicles from other cities to work there.

Beijing and Shanghai have slightly lowered the requirements for vehicles allowed which were raised substantially in the drafts.

Both sets of regulations took effect on Wednesday. Drivers and vehicles are given a five-month transitional period in Beijing.

The regulations were drafted in early October and sent out for public opinion, Beijing receiving 9,246 responses and Shanghai 1,417. China's largest online car-hailing platform Didi Chuxing submitted written comments.