The "Ride-Hailing Crisis" Phenomenon: Users Struggle to Find Drivers in Afternoon Hours, Waiting Up to 20 Minutes

Jakarta — Several ride-hailing application (ojol) users have reported difficulty booking rides during afternoon and early evening hours, particularly around the time of breaking fast during Ramadan.

One user, Zahra (26), said she frequently struggles to book a ride during these peak times and often has to wait considerably longer than usual.

“I always have trouble booking a ride in the afternoon or around breaking fast time. I have to wait up to 20 minutes,” Zahra told Kompas.com on Tuesday (12 March 2026).

“Once I finally get a driver, I still have to wait another 10 minutes because the drivers I get are always far away,” she added.

Similar experiences have been reported by another user, Amo (29), whose orders have been unexpectedly cancelled even after securing a driver.

“I waited nearly 20 minutes, and when I finally got a driver, they immediately cancelled despite me not using any promotional discount,” Amo said.

According to Amo, the situation typically worsens towards evening hours or during rainy weather.

“Especially when it’s close to evening prayer time or raining, hardly anyone is willing to accept the order,” he explained.

“When no one accepts, I usually resort to JakLingko instead, even though I’m already tired and would prefer to ride a motorcycle to get home directly,” Amo said.

Amo hopes that drivers will be less selective when accepting orders, particularly during rush hours when many people need transportation services.

“I hope drivers won’t be so picky during rush hour,” he remarked.

Another resident, Bene (27), has experienced the same issue, frequently unable to find a driver during evening rush hours.

“The app keeps saying it’s searching for a driver, but I never get one,” Bene said.

Based on various information circulating on social media and within driver communities, the phenomenon appears to be related to an imbalance between the income drivers receive and their operational costs. Some drivers reportedly choose to go offline or decline orders during certain hours, particularly when traffic is congested, as they believe the long travel times do not justify the fares they receive.