The "Ride-hailing Crisis" Phenomenon: Transport Expert Says Citizens' Mobility Not Solely Dependent on App-based Services

JAKARTA — The term “ride-hailing crisis” has become the subject of widespread discussion on social media in recent weeks.

A number of users have complained about the difficulty of obtaining app-based motorcycle taxi services during certain hours.

However, transport analyst Deddy Herlambang believes that this phenomenon does not necessarily disrupt public productivity, as ride-hailing services are not fundamentally part of the national transport system.

“Ride-hailing services are not part of the national transport system. They are private transport or paratransit services with door-to-door service characteristics,” said Deddy when contacted by Kompas.com on Friday (13 March 2026).

This is because various other public transport modes remain available to support mobility.

“So whether ride-hailing services exist or not, it should not actually disrupt public productivity because other public transport options remain available,” he said.

On social media, complaints about the difficulty of obtaining ride-hailing services have indeed become the subject of widespread discussion among internet users.

Some users have even referred to the situation as a “ride-hailing crisis”.

From various information circulating on social media and driver communities, suspicions have emerged that this phenomenon is related to the imbalance between the income drivers receive and the operational costs they incur.

They believe that lengthy travel times are not commensurate with the fares they receive.

Nevertheless, Deddy believes that the difficulty in obtaining ride-hailing services at certain times could be caused by various factors.

According to him, weather conditions, the Ramadan period, and consumer tariff choices can influence drivers’ decisions to accept orders.

“Or many consumers choose economy fares, which are not taken up by ride-hailing drivers,” he said.