Ride-hailing Drivers Admit Many Switch Off Apps in Afternoon, Why?

Jakarta—Multiple users of ride-hailing services have complained of difficulty finding drivers during the afternoon through early evening hours, particularly during rush hour. Wait times are reported to be lengthy, reaching fifteen to sixty minutes.

Responding to these complaints, one ride-hailing driver, Abdul (28), revealed that some drivers intentionally switch off their applications during certain hours.

According to him, one primary cause is the prevalence of orders using the budget tariff feature.

“Some drivers do switch off their apps because typically many orders use the budget tariff. Given unpredictable road conditions and relatively long distances, many drivers disable their applications,” Abdul said when speaking with Kompas.com on Thursday (12/3/2026).

“Sometimes there are cases where drivers have to travel up to five kilometres to pick up a passenger but the actual trip is only one kilometre from the passenger’s location,” Abdul explained.

This situation leads some drivers to decline orders, particularly during peak hours when traffic is congested.

Abdul also acknowledged that many passengers complain of difficulty finding drivers at certain times, particularly between 5pm and 6pm.

He noted examples where a driver’s location could be extremely distant from a passenger’s location, sometimes exceeding six kilometres.

“Like now, suddenly I have a passenger I need to pick up and the distance is six kilometres, while they’re quite far from me,” Abdul said.

“Because if I cancel, I’ll get suspended for about 15 minutes and various other penalties. If I do accept it, the distance is considerable,” he added.

Another driver, Mumuh (38), also complained about the budget tariff system, which he feels results in earnings disproportionate to the distance required to pick up passengers.

The man from Bogor stated that budget tariff orders often require drivers to travel considerable distances before eventually picking up customers.

“When the order is a budget tariff, usually many drivers think twice about accepting it. Sometimes the pickup distance is far, but the fare is small,” Mumuh said.