Shopee Addresses 'Ojol Crisis': Order Surge as Driver Partners Decline

Shopee has responded to widespread complaints about the difficulty of obtaining online motorcycle taxi (ojol) services ahead of Eid al-Fitr celebrations. Shopee acknowledged a decline in drivers or partners, particularly in the Jabodetabek region.

“As public activity increases during Ramadan approaching Eid al-Fitr, there is a surge in order volume across various on-demand and fast delivery services,” said Satrya Pinandita, Head of Corporate Affairs at Shopee Indonesia, in a statement on Thursday (12 March 2026).

Satrya noted that this phenomenon actually occurred in 2025 as well. He acknowledged a pattern of declining driver partner availability ahead of Eid al-Fitr.

“Shopee has also observed a pattern of declining driver partner availability (fleet supply) in the weeks leading up to Eid al-Fitr. This pattern occurs consistently among logistics partners providing instant and same-day delivery services on the Shopee platform, with more pronounced declines in the Jabodetabek region, whilst conditions in areas outside Jabodetabek are relatively more stable,” Satrya said.

He noted that complaints were also raised by driver partners who continued working. According to them, there has been a significant increase in delivery requests.

“Logistics partners providing instant and same-day delivery services on the Shopee platform have also reported that in recent times there has been a considerable increase in delivery demand,” he said.

“Additionally, some driver partners have returned to their hometowns, particularly those who normally operate in major cities. On the other hand, the package pickup process can also become more challenging during periods or days with high rainfall, which can affect traffic conditions and driver partner mobility in several areas,” he continued.

Satrya also mentioned that Shopee has communicated this phenomenon to its service users. In this way, users can adjust their delivery accordingly.

“Since last week, Shopee has also proactively provided information through the application to buyers and sellers regarding potential service time adjustments, so that users can monitor the delivery process more effectively and adjust deliveries according to their needs,” he said.