UPDATE: Mula has contacted us via email to state that although its Terms and Conditions includes a cancellation fee, the company has not charged its passengers any such fees since day one and has no plans to do so.

“We highly believe that the cancellation fee method would not be so appropriate in our Malaysia context,” it said in the email. Mula plans to remove the cancellation fee from the Terms and Conditions on its website.

Starting today, Grab Malaysia will charge a cancellation fee on users who cancel five minutes after booking a ride. The fee ranges from RM3 to RM5 depending on the type of vehicle that the passenger has ordered.

The company will also impose a RM3 to RM5 no-show fee on users who fail to show up at a pick-up point five minutes after the driver has arrived. The rider will be notified when a driver has cancelled after waiting for five minutes and the no-show fee will be stated as well.



The fee will be channeled towards the driver to compensate for his/her time on the road. The company explained that the cancellation fee will be waived in an event where a user has had to wait for more than 10 minutes for the driver to arrive.

The announcement has not gone down well with some users. There were those who feel that Grab should compensate users when the driver is the one asking for a cancellation. Other users also feel that Grab should look into how it can improve the maps system on the app.

If users feel burdened by Grab's new cancellation policy, they can start looking at ways to get around. Here are five other ride-hailing alternatives to Grab.

Mula

On the Mula ride booking option, users can do more than just call for immediate pick-up. They can use the Pre-book tab to arrange for transportation to travel at a later date and time. There is also a Chartered tab for users to book a driver for a minimum of two hours, similar to GrabCar's car rental service.

For female users, they can activate the option for Mula Pink Driver under the Options on the booking page. This is a safety feature developed for female passengers to request for female drivers. Users even get the option to add a preferred driver into a Favourite Driver page; riders can choose up to five Favourite Drivers and specifically select anyone who is online to receive the rider's requests.

Mula is currently only available for users in Klang Valley, Penang and Johor. However, be warned that this service also charges an RM5 cancellation fee if the user cancels five minutes after a driver has accepted the booking.

EzCab

Users can request for an economy taxi service with meter, a private car and even a nine-seater vehicle. The app offers privileges like discounts for trips to selected locations like Ikea, 10% off Zoo Negara entrance tickets and more.

Apart from the usual cash and credit card payment method, EzCab accepts Boost, Touch & Go eWallet, Alipay and WeChat pay. The company says services are available in KL, Klang Valley, Penang, Perak, Negeri Sembilan, Johor Bahru, Melaka and Sabah.

Dacsee

Do you like the idea of getting into rides with only people that you know? Well, apart from the usual ride-hailing services with registered drivers, Dacsee gives users the option to request a ride from a friend or family member. The user will first have to invite a friend or family member to join the Dacsee community, then check if they meet the driver requirements and sign up online. Of course, the friend or family member will get paid after completing the ride.

Feel like going somewhere but not sure where to go? Dacsee has an option called Joy Locations where users can select to go to a suggested location like Dunkin Donuts at a mall or a Starbucks outlet. The app gives rewards like RM5 cashback for you to spend at the suggested locations. Based on announcements on its Facebook page, Dacsee services go beyond Klang Valley where it's also available in Perak, Sarawak, Johor Bahru, Penang and Sabah.

MyCar Passenger

When you want to cancel a ride, the app will ask you for a reason. You can choose from "I've waited too long..." to "I've entered wrong location..." and even "Driver asked to cancel..". You will not be charged for cancellation(s). Grab says they have a similar feature for users who want to cancel rides. Users can select reasons like "Driver not contactable...", and "Not enough space in vehicle...".

JomRides

JomRides is another app that provides the usual ride-hailing services for users to request for a compact car, sedan or MPV, along with an advanced booking option. The app also has an SOS Panic Button for users to utilise in the event of an emergency.