Gojek to shorten grace period for cancellations, introduce minimum S$3 waiting fee from Sep 26

SINGAPORE: Gojek will shorten the grace period for cancellations to four minutes and introduce a waiting fee structure from Sep 26, following a similar move by Grab in July.

Currently, Gojek users are charged S$4 if they cancel five minutes after they have been matched with a driver, or if they cancel as soon as the driver arrives at their pickup location. 

From Sep 26, the grace period for cancellations will be reduced to four minutes. 

A first waiting fee of S$3 will be charged if a driver has waited at the pick-up point for more than four minutes. 

Passengers will be charged another S$3 for every five additional minutes the driver has to wait thereafter. This will be capped at S$9 - that is, after 19 minutes of waiting.

Announcing this on Monday (Sep 19), Gojek said the fees will help to ensure a smooth experience for all users on its platform, including drivers.

"This way, they’re compensated for their time and effort too," it added.

"To avoid any waiting fees, make sure to book only when you’re ready to get going, and be at the pick-up location within four minutes from when your driver has arrived."

The fees apply for all trips on the Gojek platform - GoCar, GoCar XL and GoCar Premium. They cannot be offset or paid for with vouchers.

Gojek said passengers can request a review if they were wrongly charged a cancellation or waiting fee.

As for drivers, they can cancel without penalty only after four minutes of waiting at the pick-up point. "The app will immediately help you find a new driver if your ride is cancelled," said Gojek.

OTHER RIDE-HAILING SERVICES

Grab announced in July that the grace waiting time and cancellation period for rides booked on its platform will be shortened from five to three minutes starting from Jul 18.

A S$4 fee applies if a passenger cancels a booking more than three minutes after accepting one.

Users will be automatically charged a waiting fee of S$3 per five-minute waiting block if they keep the driver waiting for longer than three minutes. 

According to the company’s website, the waiting fee policy has been in place since December 2016 to ensure that drivers are “properly compensated for the additional time spent waiting for passengers that have exceeded their grace waiting period”.

“You are encouraged to book rides only when ready to ensure you have ample time to reach your pickup point,” Grab said in an email to customers at the time.

Ryde charges a S$5.30 cancellation fee if a passenger cancels four minutes after booking a ride.

Ryde drivers may also charge a waiting time fee of S$5.30 if the user is not at the pickup point four minutes after the driver presses “I’m Here” on the app, regardless of whether the trip is completed.