(Yicai Global) May 9 -- Jigang Group Co., a steelmaker which set up a taxi firm in March, has partnered transport conglomerate Beijing Shouqi Group Co., the firm behind ride-hailing platform Shouqi Limousine & Chauffeur, as it looks to offer more efficient services in its home town of Jinan, Shandong province.

Jigang will share its cabs and drivers with Shouqi and utilize the latter's online platform to make car hailing more convenient, Tencent News outlet reported. Shouqi will offer further support in training, data management and marketing, while Jigang will handle fleet administration.

Shouqi Limousine & Chauffeur launched in the Chinese capital in 2015, integrating passenger transport, taxi and car rental companies in cities across the country to build a business-to-business ride-hailing platform.

The firm has partnered more than 20 companies in some of China's top cities, including Beijing, Shanghai and Chongqing, and commands an 8.5-percent share of the domestic car-hailing market, second only to Didi Chuxing Technology Co., the world's largest provider which rose to fame after driving Uber Inc. out of China in 2016 in a price war that cost both firms billions.

Editor: James Boynton