KUALA LUMPUR: Grab fares have surged because of a shortage of drivers and traffic jam that occurred after life turned to normal and all businesses re-opened, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong (pic) said.

“There are two main factors that have led to this surge in e-hailing fares; a supply-and-demand imbalance and high traffic volume leading to longer travel times,” the Star quoted him saying.

He added, with things now easing as of April 1, daily life seems to have returned to some normalcy and as expected, there is more traffic on the road.

“Meanwhile some E-hailing companies have seen their number of registered drivers drop by over 30% compared to pre-pandemic times,” he said.

Dr Wee added, demand for e-hailing services since April 1 has increased compared to during the pandemic.

“These factors have the most effect on the fare algorithms employed by the e-hailing operators, which account for many factors including distance, traffic volume, weather patterns as well as market supply and demand,” said Dr Wee after the ministry and Land Public Transport Agency (APAD) met with e-hailing operators regarding the matter.

The government continues to ensure that more EHOs along with taxis and buses are available to provide commuters with more options, he added.