Jakarta Ride-Hailing Crisis: Grab and Gojek Respond to Service Shortage Complaints
Jakarta has experienced a ride-hailing crisis over recent days, with numerous complaints about the difficulty of securing online transport services (ojol). Both CNBC Indonesia’s own monitoring and widespread user reports confirm that vehicles from both Grab and Gojek are exceptionally difficult to obtain, affecting not only passenger transport but also food delivery services.
When drivers do eventually become available, they are often located far from pickup points, resulting in frequent order cancellations. Whilst service shortages typically occur during peak hours such as office closing times or during heavy rainfall, the current crisis has affected even standard service requests, not just discounted options.
Both Grab and Gojek have issued statements addressing the situation.
Grab’s Response
Tyas Widyastuti, Director of Mobility, Food, & Logistics at Grab Indonesia, confirmed that Grab services are operating normally, though certain users in specific times and areas are experiencing longer waiting times than usual. According to her, the shortage stems from a significant increase in service demand, whilst driver availability is affected by several factors including flooding from extreme rainfall and unusually heavy traffic congestion.
“In recent times, demand for mobility services and delivery, including GrabExpress, GrabFood, and other services, has increased quite substantially,” Widyastuti told CNBC Indonesia on Thursday, 12 March 2026. “Simultaneously, driver partner availability has also been affected by several factors, including extreme weather conditions that caused flooding on numerous road segments, as well as traffic congestion higher than usual.”
Widyastuti explained that Grab’s operational team is implementing various measures to stabilise driver availability and maintain service quality, including operational adjustments to ensure balance between service demand and driver supply, particularly in high-demand areas. The company will continue monitoring developments and making necessary operational adjustments to optimise services for users, merchants, and drivers, especially as the Ramadan and Eid period approaches.
“Grab remains committed to ensuring all our services function optimally for users whilst maintaining safety standards for driver partners, merchants, and users, particularly during the pre-Eid period,” she stated.
Gojek’s Response
Gojek explained that several factors are affecting driver availability during Ramadan. Bambang Adi Wirawan, Head of Driver Operations at Gojek, noted that some drivers, particularly in major cities, have chosen to return to their hometowns and spend time with family during the final period of Ramadan.
External factors such as heavy rainfall causing waterlogging at various points and resulting in traffic congestion also impact driver availability. “Beyond these factors, external conditions such as heavy rainfall causing waterlogging at certain points and resulting in traffic congestion also affect driver partner availability. Consequently, customer orders during this period often require additional time for acceptance by partners,” Bambang explained.
He also noted a change in ordering patterns towards the end of Ramadan and approaching the Eid holiday, with a surge in demand during peak hours beginning at 3:30 PM and peaking between 4:00 PM and 6:00 PM, particularly in central Jakarta’s business areas.
In response to this phenomenon, Bambang urged users to allocate additional time for placing orders and planning journeys. For drivers, Gojek will implement special tariff schemes and income incentives during the Eid holiday period to boost driver earnings and express appreciation for those continuing to serve the public during the holiday.
“From the driver partner side, we will implement special tariff schemes applicable during the Eid holiday period to increase earning opportunities for partners. There will also be income incentives or bonuses for driver partners who complete a certain number of orders. This step is important for us to appreciate driver partners who choose to continue serving the public during the Eid holiday period,” he explained.
“Gojek remains committed to ensuring convenience and comfort for users whilst simultaneously offering an ecosystem that provides opportunities for driver partners to earn sustainable income,” he added.