A happy ride-hailing driver who sings to passengers and gives them cuddly toys has been praised for spreading joy via his random acts of kindness.

In footage from his in-vehicle video that trended on social media, the driver is seen inviting a female passenger to sit in the front of the car, where he immediately initiates conversation.

“Can you just wait there a couple of moments?” the driver asks and reaches over to fetch a blue dolphin stuffed toy from the back seat, handing it to the woman.

“This is a little surprise I like to give to my passengers,” the driver from Changsha in the southern province of Hunan province says.

The woman seems unsure as she looks at the toy and smiles but politely declines the well-intentioned gift.

Undeterred, the cheerful driver reassures her that it is something he does all the time.

“Not only do I give a toy to my passengers, I also sing them a song,” he tells her.

After agreeing to listen to his singing she then takes the soft toy from him.

“What kinds of music do you like?” he asks.

When she answers G-Dragon, he gives her a puzzled look, laughs, and confesses he is not familiar with Korean songs, but offers to sing Mandarin tunes.

He suggests singing a song he knows and invites her to comment on his skills. During his “performance”, the passenger can be seen moving in time to the melody and sometimes singing along with him.

“You sing pretty well,” she tells him and they smile at each other. “Have you ever met a driver like me before?” he asks, to which she replies with a definitive “no”.

The story has warmed hearts on mainland social media, in part because taxi drivers in China are not renowned for being overly friendly.

“The driver is so sweet,” commented one.

“How can I meet such a friendly driver?” asked another.

Nice stories involving drivers and passengers are popular in China.

In September 2023, a boy in rural eastern China who hangs his school bag on his front door to signal to the accommodating bus driver that he is ready to make his 30km ride to school, delighted online observers.

In April 2022, an emotional letter “begging” for good reviews from passengers, written by a nine-year-old girl for her father, a ride-hailing driver in central China, touched the hearts of tens of thousands.

 - SCMP