Considering there are alternative e hailing apps, will Grab see results?
Okay, so a few months ago, Grab updated its fares and while in some cases the fare did drop, particularly for longer rides, for the most part, where shorter rides are concerned, the fare actually dropped considerably, making rides less worth it for drivers. Well, the drivers are so unhappy with this, they have proposed a blackout.
Yes, you read that right, Grab drivers are so dissatisfied with the new fare system that they have proposed a total blackout (essentially, they are all going on strike) for tomorrow, 19 January 2024, Friday from 7am until 12 midnight across all of Malaysia because they feel the new fares are too low and thus they do are not making enough.
Moreover, this also seems to be the case for GrabFood riders as well as the main image not only shows the planned date and reasons the Grab drivers are calling for this blackout, but also a smaller GrabFood logo below with the hashtags “#HentikanBuiRider” (#StopBullyingRiders) among others.
Many who live and work in the Klang Valley area are almost totally dependent on this app particularly for lunch as it is convenient and saves time so this is going to affect a lot of office workers in a very bad way. Still, the question needs to be asked. Will this blackout truly be effective and achieve the desired results?
Not to belittle the concerns of the Grab riders but even with the updated fares, rides are still not cheap. What’s more, I personally have witnessed so many drivers wasting their petrol by purposely driving around when they accept a ride they do not want to take instead of canceling and wasting everyone’s time as a result. So they are not doing themselves any favours, either.
On top of that, there are so many alternatives these days, not just for Grab (maxim, inDriver, airasia ride, etc) but also for GrabFood like Foodpanda, ShopeeFood and more. So, now the real question becomes, will the drivers and riders only end up shooting themselves in the foot if rivals take advantage of their blackout?
Naturally, Grab, the company won’t care much, after all, it is only one day and the company has infinitely more money than any driver or rider does so they can definitely outlast this 1 day blackout but some riders and drivers may not. So who is really losing in this situation? That is for you to decide.
If you were planning on taking a Grab tomorrow, well, tough luck. Plan something else quickly.
