Online Restaurants Hit by "Ride-Hailing Crisis": Late Deliveries, Customer Complaints
Jakarta — The phenomenon of difficulty obtaining ride-hailing drivers (ojol) in Jakarta in recent weeks has not only affected transportation users but also impacted food business operators who rely on online delivery services.
The shortage of drivers during certain hours, described by some users as the “ojol crisis”, has left numerous restaurants struggling to secure drivers to collect and deliver food orders. This situation frequently results in delivery delays and customer complaints.
The impact is being felt by Ilham (26), owner of a restaurant in the Cengkareng area of West Jakarta, whose sales primarily depend on online orders.
“It’s been difficult, really. Usually we have drivers lined up before the food is even ready, but now the food sits waiting for a driver. It’s been about two weeks that we’ve felt it most,” Ilham told Kompas.com on Thursday, 12 March 2026.
The difficulty in securing drivers directly affects his business operations. When drivers are finally found, they often carry more than one order or handle double bookings. As a result, delivery times frequently miss the estimates shown in the application. Even priority delivery features, which should offer faster service, often fail to meet expectations.
“Sometimes customers pay extra for priority delivery, which should mean only their order is delivered, but the driver arrives with another order too. This makes it take even longer to reach the customer, and the food arrives cold,” Ilham lamented.
These delivery delays frequently cause misunderstandings between customers and the restaurant. He said his restaurant often receives complaints and poor ratings from customers who believe the restaurant was slow in preparing their orders.
However, Ilham emphasised that the kitchen always tries to prepare orders as quickly as possible so food can be delivered promptly to customers.
Despite this, he acknowledged that the sustainability of his business is heavily dependent on the availability of ride-hailing drivers as delivery partners.
“Without ojol, those of us selling online are in trouble, because now most customers come through online channels. We need each other — food sellers and ride-hailing drivers,” said Ilham.
He hopes the current difficulty in securing ojol drivers will not last long and that there will be improvements to the online transportation service system.
“I hope the ride-hailing drivers can do better and become more prosperous — their situation needs to be given attention. For us, who depend on each other, business can continue to flourish,” he hoped.