Grab drivers on strike today?

We're noticing that it's extra difficult to book a Grab ride today, and it might just be that the Grab drivers have gone on strike earlier than expected.

Utusan Malaysia reported that the Grab Drivers Malaysia Association (GDMA) will be meeting up today to address the fare restructuring issue imposed by Grab Malaysia. While there's no news of protest being reported anywhere just yet, it has come to our attention that there's a significant decrease in Grab driver and food delivery rider activities.

Distance charge dropped from RM0.70 to RM0.25 per km

On 16 January 2023, the ride-hailing fare system saw a big change as they lowered the distance charge from RM0.70 per km to just RM0.25. Time charges, however, have been increased from RM0.20 to RM0.43 per minute. This move was made by Grab Malaysia where they claimed that the fares were changed based on the drivers' feedback, as reported by The Star.

While this means that Grab drivers can earn higher during rush hour for driving shorter distances, the sheer 65% drop in distance charges has resulted in dissatisfaction amongst Grab drivers who operate outside of heavily congested areas like KL and Selangor during rush hours.

As of now, GDMA vice-president Mohd Azril Ahmat is requesting some time to gather as much information as possible during the meeting before any action is taken towards the Grab Driver Centre as well as management.