> the lack of bureaucracy to just do things like this
sorry to disappoint you but Shanghai is the place where ride-sharing wasn't even allowed in its main international airport just 12 months ago. bureaucracy mixed with corruption is at shockingly bad level.
Some Europian countries ban ride-sharing in their entire territories, not just airports.
https://www.ncesc.com/which-european-countries-dont-have-ube...
So Shanghai seems indeed low-bureaucracy, in comparison.
I used DiDi from Pudong to Hongqiao around 6 years ago. Was there a span in between where it was a no-go?