It was October 12th 2019. I woke up knowing, it’d be a bad day to be someone who solely relies on ride-hailing services. And true enough, the day was bad. It was a Saturday, I had errands to run. I took my phone out to get my usual car, and was greeted by a 10-15 minutes wait time, and an exorbitant price of RM 13 for a ride that normal cost RM 7.

A 3.9 km ride. That’s it.

Not to mention the fact that the waiting times have exponentially increased. I sat there, on my couch, waiting 15 minutes to get a car, and then 15 more minutes for the car to get there. It really has put a dent in my scheduling, and now I’m just late to places more often. It’s just not something sustainable. But what else would I really expect with this new PSV regulations? Both passengers and drivers are feeling the brunt of the effects, and for what? What was the reason for it?

I still can’t tell. (Well, I actually can).

So what are the alternatives? Wait for a taxi at the top of the hill where my condo is situated? Not likely. Walk to the closest bus stop, and wait half an hour for a bus to get me somewhere in the next hour? Forget about it. Check alternative ride-hailing apps? Done that, and it still doesn’t work. It just makes things all the more complicated.

It’s a process that really shouldn’t be happening in 2019. Why make the lives of the people difficult? There are people who even sold their cars for the convenience of ride-hailing. What about them? And why didn’t Grab account for the amount of cars on the road, and adjust their pricing accordingly?

Sure, it incentivises drivers to get more rides, and make money, but ultimately, it hurts the consumers wallets even more so. Because sure, it’s a minor bump in the price, but over time, that extra RM 5 I’m spending for a car will accumulate, till it reaches at least RM 400 minimum. Take as many Grabs as I do, then you’ll know how much I’m losing in the transitory process for ride-hailing services. I empathise with drivers, but at some point, I have to think about me as well, and the millions of other people who feel the same way I do.

Maybe this period of surge pricing and unavailability of drivers will pass in the coming months. But it doesn’t change the fact that the landscape of ride-hailing, getting around, and much more has changed forever. Be it for better or worse, it’s still changed.