Beijing and Shanghai enacted rules on car-hailing services at the end of December, keeping most of the strict requirements of the previous drafts. Drivers hired by car-hailing platforms such as Didi Chuxing are still required to have local household registration and their vehicles must have local license plates.

But some changes have been made in the rules. In Beijing, the standard for engine displacement has been lowered from 2 liters to 1.8 liters, and the wheelbase requirement is down from 270 cm to 265 cm. Drivers in the capital have been given five months to make sure they and their cars meet the requirements.

But just 10.7 percent of the Didi drivers in Beijing are permanent residents of the capital and less than 10 percent of Shanghai's ride-sharing drivers can meet the new standards, according to reports. In Beijing's case, non-local drivers are automatically disqualified from applying for the car-hailing driving tests, which all applicants have to pass to stay in or enter the business.