AMIDST its reputation for convenience and affordability, Grab encounters criticism as reports surface of driver discontent. While many rely on the platform for safe transportation, concerns arise over safety standards and service quality. Some users alleged drivers are staging silent protests, highlighting underlying issues within the system.
As discussions unfold, calls for improved transparency and better support for drivers gain traction.
Within the last few weeks, there have been protests from Grab delivery riders, which is an entirely different issue. Reports stated that about 300 Grab delivery riders staged a peaceful protest outside the company’s headquarters. They demanded the reinstatement of the previous RM5 base fare for Klang Valley deliveries, which was reduced to RM4 recently.
Persatuan Perpaduan Rakan Penghantar Malaysia (Penghantar) previously urged government intervention, criticising Grab’s revised earnings framework as opaque and insufficient. During the protest, Penghantar representatives met with Grab’s management, emphasising the need to maintain pickup bonuses and fair compensation.
Korang tau kan ramai Grab drivers mogok?
Sistem dia sekarang auto-accept semua request kita dan driver tak boleh tolak. Dia tak akan cancel, jadi kau akan termangu mangu tunggu.
Puncanya tambang murah, merugikan driver. Dan dia orang tak boleh pilih trip.
Tang pilih trip tu,…
— Hezeri Samsuri (@HezeriSamsuri) February 22, 2024
An X user claimed that a lot of Grab drivers are doing a silent protest. Apparently it’s due to the fact that they cannot choose which customer they can ride with or which destinations they’re able to go to.
Akhirnya berbalik kepada asas permintaan dan penawaran.
Bila driver terlalu ramai, semua nak jadikan kerjaya. Tapi bila jumlah pengguna sama, upah driver akan jadi rendah.
Bila pengguna Grab makin sikit dan upah tak berbaloi, ramai dah taknak jadi driver. Upah akan meningkat.
— Faisal Rahim (@acaiijawa) February 23, 2024
Others stated that this is simply supply and demand. Grab’s fare calculations are sophisticated and are according to the value of the trip. If there are a lot of drivers and a lack of customers, it would mean that fares would be cheaper.
However, if there are fewer drivers, fares would go up and an even smaller number of customers would patronise them.
Naik kan tip tu in future akan buat harga dekat kita jadi lagi mahal. Sebab driver ni akan tunggu customer bagi tip tinggi. Mana cust yang jarang naik grab okay lah bagi tip tinggi, mana yang selalu naik grab, x ke naya nak bagi tip tinggi ja selalu.
— iQbaLSamaH (@iqbalsamah) February 23, 2024
In addition to this, there are suggestions that the app add a tip button for those who would like to get a driver quickly. But netizens disagree with this, as they feel the drivers would misuse this feature and wait for the best tips. – Feb 24, 2024