Gojek Explains the Causes Behind Widespread Ride-Hailing Service Complaints
Gojek has responded to widespread complaints about the difficulty of obtaining online motorcycle taxi (ride-hailing) services during Ramadan. The company stated that there have been changes in booking patterns with demand surges occurring earlier than the usual peak hours.
“During the final period of Ramadan and approaching the Eid al-Fitr holiday, we have observed changes in booking patterns with increased demand levels during peak hours, particularly in the business district of central Jakarta. Peak hours now begin earlier than on other days outside of Ramadan, starting from 15:30 and reaching their peak between 16:00-18:00 WIB,” said Gojek’s Head of Driver Operations, Bambang Adi Wirawan, on Thursday (12 March 2026).
Meanwhile, amid the surge in orders, Bambang noted that some ride-hailing drivers had returned to their hometowns for the holidays. This particularly affected drivers who usually operate in major cities.
“During the final period of Ramadan, we understand that some of our Gojek driver partners—particularly those operating in major cities—have returned to their hometowns or taken holiday leave and chosen to spend time with their families,” he said.
Bambang also mentioned another factor: heavy rain causing flooding at several points, which affected driver availability and often resulted in customers waiting longer for orders to be accepted.
“Heavy rain causing flooding at several locations, which has resulted in traffic congestion, has also affected the availability of our driver partners. Consequently, customer orders during this period often require additional time to be accepted by our partners,” he said.
“To anticipate this situation, we urge users to allocate additional time when placing orders and planning their trips,” he added.
Furthermore, Bambang stated that Gojek would introduce special tariffs during the Eid holidays to increase driver earnings.
“This measure is important for us to take in appreciation of driver partners who choose to continue serving the public during the Eid al-Fitr holiday period,” he said.
Grab Also Responds
Grab has also responded to the widespread complaints about difficulty obtaining ride-hailing services. Tyas Widyastuti, Director of Mobility, Food, and Logistics at Grab Indonesia, stated on Wednesday (11 March) that the company was aware of complaints about longer driver wait times in recent days, particularly in the Jakarta area and surroundings.
Overall, she explained, Grab services continue to operate normally, although at certain times and locations some users may experience longer wait times than usual.
“This has occurred because in recent times, demand for mobility services and delivery, including GrabExpress, GrabFood, and other services, has experienced quite significant increases. At the same time, driver partner availability has also been affected by several factors, including extreme rainy weather conditions that caused flooding on several road sections, as well as traffic congestion that is higher than usual,” Tyas said.
Tyas added that Grab’s operational team is currently taking various steps to stabilise driver availability and maintain service quality. This includes various operational adjustments to ensure balance between service demand and driver partner availability in the field, particularly in areas with high demand.