TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Land Transport Director-General of Transportation Ministry, Ahmad Yani, has responded to the trial test of cancellation fee for passengers who canceled an online taxi order. The charge was initiated by ride-hailing application company Grab Indonesia.

Ahmad Yani claimed he did not hear the news yet. “That means stealing. We will first review it; about the charge over canceling an order,” said the director-general after a meeting with the House of Representatives (DPR) Commission V in Central Jakarta, Tuesday, June 18.

Grab Indonesia has started to charge their passengers for canceling online taxi order starting Monday, June 17. The policy will be tested for the next month in Lampung and Palembang.

According to Ahmad Yani, the cancellation fee for customers was burdensome. He assessed that passengers are free to choose any transportation mode they prefer.

Instead, he continued, the fee charge initiated by applicator could be applied for driver partners because they provided the service.

Grab Indonesia implemented a special rule on cancellation fee in its latest policy. Passengers who cancel an order five minutes after making one will be charged Rp1,000 for GrabBike and Rp3,000 for GrabCar as compensation for drivers' loss of time, energy, and fuel.

Responding to Ahmad Yani’s statement about the cancellation fee as stealing, Grab Indonesia Public Relation Andre Sebastian was reluctant to provide further comments and said that he would check the matter in advance.

EKO WAHYUDI

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