Analyst: Abolition of Economy Fare for Ojol Tariffs Could Damp Demand

Jakarta, Kompas.com - The closure of the low-cost access subscription for ride-hailing drivers is not automatically a sign that drivers’ conditions will improve. On the contrary, the policy could trigger a chain reaction affecting the number of users of the service.

‘Ojol users may decrease if the cost is perceived as high because there is no longer an economy fare. The closure of the economy-fare package could increase driver income, but demand could fall,’ transport analyst Deddy Herlambang told reporters on Thursday, 21 May 2026.

‘The 20 per cent reduction is indeed very burdensome for drivers,’ he said.

Deddy also noted that the impact of scrapping the cheap tariff scheme cannot be guaranteed to improve drivers’ incomes. After all, without a cap on the number of driver partners, competition on the ground could become even tighter.

‘Not necessarily that closing the cheap package will improve drivers’ income since demand may fall and more drivers may enter due to no cap or quota on drivers,’ he added.

The policy is described as part of the company’s adjustments to maintain the sustainability of the service ecosystem.

Grab Indonesia CEO Neneng Goenadi said the closure of the programme was carried out after the company assessed the need to adjust implementation to be more sustainable for all parties.

‘The closure of this subscription programme is also intended to create a sustainable ecosystem for all parties,’ Neneng said in an official statement.

Nevertheless, Grab confirmed that the GrabBike Hemat service for consumers remains available with certain adjustments, while the price of GrabBike Standard services did not rise.

Grab also said it would continue to coordinate with the government in implementing Presidential Regulation No. 27 of 2026 regarding the two-wheeled transport ecosystem.