PETALING JAYA: An e-hailing service firm has come under fire after complaints of drivers requesting customers to cancel rides after confirming bookings, leading to inconvenience and financial penalties for passengers.
Aisyah Balqis Zuhal, 26, said she was asked to cancel her ride as the driver claimed the distance was too far.
“I incurred charges for cancelling the ride and faced a one-day suspension from using the e-hailing app.”
Her experience and other similar ones have initiated a wave of complaints on social media, causing concern, especially for those who need rides during emergencies.
Part-time Grab driver Yee Wai Jian, 34, told theSun that Grab uses an automatic acceptance system once a customer books a ride. So, drivers have to request customers to cancel their bookings after confirmation.
“Grab uses an automated system, but drivers are not informed about upcoming bookings or locations. This presents a challenge when the locations are too far and the fares too low.
“Often, such rides do not even cover the cost of petrol and we are left with no choice but to cancel the booking,” Yee said, adding that drivers are subject to warnings if their cancellation rate exceeds 30% per week.
“If the rate exceeds this threshold, drivers may face temporary bans from the company, lasting for a few hours or possibly days.”
theSun also reached out to other e-hailing companies, including Maxim and Riding Pink, which are also popular e-hailing services.
These e-hailing companies offer drivers a choice to disable the “automatic accept” feature in their booking systems.
This provides convenience and allows drivers to select rides based on their locations and personal preferences.
Maxim e-hailing director Mohd Hazwan Musley said issues related to cancellations rarely arise among its drivers.
“Our system is designed in such a way that drivers can select the bookings that are closest to them. This is because a pick-up at a far location will cost more time and money.
“Usually, our drivers choose their trips, so cancellations rarely occur.”
Riding Pink operations manager Rachel Christopher said it is inappropriate for drivers to provide absurd reasons for not picking up customers.
“There should be an option for drivers to cancel the ride in emergency cases instead of asking the passenger to do so. Such a system will provide accurate records of who decided to cancel the booking.”
When contacted, the e-hailing company in question referred theSun to its public relations agency, that declined to comment on the matter.
Land Public Transportation Agency Director-General Datuk Azlan Shah Al Bakri said the government is against violations by e-hailing company.
“We have not received any complaints from passengers about ride cancellations. I urge passengers to inform us, so we can look into the matter.”
He said he believes such cancellations involved just a few drivers, but stressed the importance of discontinuing the practice.
“Cancelling trips causes inconvenience to passengers, especially during an emergency and this practice should stop.”
