Gojek gives drivers up to 100% rebate in commission during circuit-breaker

GOJEK is offering its drivers up to 100 per cent in rebate for commission fees, following the enhanced social-distancing measures by the Singapore authorities that landed a further blow to the transport sector.

For every trip completed between April 10 and May 4, drivers will get a rebate of between 60 per cent and 100 per cent, the firm told drivers in an e-mail on Thursday evening. The size of rebate will depend on the driver's tier status in Gojek's benefits programme.

All drivers on Gojek's vehicle-rental marketplace will receive a 100 per cent commission fee rebate.

Gojek typically charges a 20 per cent commission for every trip a driver completes. During the circuit-breaker period implemented by the government, drivers would first be charged the commission fee, and then receive the rebates the following Tuesday.

The new rebate scheme will temporarily replace the current driver incentives scheme.

Gojek said in the e-mail: "With the enhanced safe-distancing measures put in place, overall demand for ride-hailing will inevitably reduce. As a result, our current incentive schemes - where incentives are tied to a target number of completed trips - are no longer the best way for us to provide you with competitive and sustainable earnings."

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The group has also relaxed the criteria for its earnings-support scheme supplementing the government's Special Relief Fund, which was set up to help private-hire and taxi drivers tide through a fall in earnings due to the coronavirus outbreak.

From April 6 to May 30, the qualifying requirement for Gojek's earnings support scheme will be lowered from 50 to 35 weekly trips.

Eligible drivers can receive up to S$140 each week, with the government providing S$10 per vehicle per day and Gojek contributing an additional payout of up to S$10 per day.

Rival Grab said on Sunday that it is halving its commission rate for private-hire drivers between April 6 and May 4, in light of the latest Covid-19 circuit-breaker measures. It has also lowered the qualifying criteria for its income-support scheme.