Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing has scrapped a plan to introduce shorter service hours for female users of its carpooling platform after the new policy was slammed as sexist.

In a statement Thursday, Didi said that its Hitch carpooling service is now available for all passengers between 5 a.m. and 8 p.m. Previously, Hitch had only imposed the 8 p.m. limit for female riders, while men could use the service until 11 p.m.

On Wednesday, Didi announced it was relaunching the carpooling service in seven cities with a raft of overhauled safety measures, including the shorter service hours for women. The gender-based policy soon drew criticism from the public, with many accusing Didi of discriminating against female passengers. Legal experts, meanwhile, argued that the company was violating China’s consumer rights protection law.

Didi said it decided to reverse the policy after taking public opinion into consideration. The company’s president, Liu Qing, acknowledged the policy was “unfriendly” to female customers but added that Didi was “walking on thin ice when resuming the service.” Hitch was suspended in August of last year after two female passengers in Henan and Zhejiang provinces were killed by their drivers. (Image: VCG)