There are many ways for people to commute to their workplace. Some will drive, use public transport or book a Grab. Either way, all these methods use money. One might be more expensive than the other. But these days, with Malaysia’s unstable economic condition, everything is pricey. Nothing is cheap.
How do you commute to work? Do you drive and go through the jam-packed roads every morning? Or do you use public transport like LRT, MRT, KTM or bus? Or when you’re tired, have you considered booking a car from Grab, inDriver and other services?
We mentioned the country’s economic condition before. Many Malaysians are struggling to balance their paycheck every month. Groups like B40 and M40 feel the most pressure.
So many things need to be taken into account. These days, a question like do you prefer driving or booking a Grab also resurfaces among netizens.
Nampak tweet kawan ni drive pergi kerja kena 1 jam lebih 😬 setiap hari. Ulang alik mau 2.6 jam.
Kalau sebulan dah lebih kurang 52 jam. Kalau value diri dia RM 20 per jam,
mahu RM 1040 spend dekat memandu.
— Mag (@magmalaya) January 31, 2023
Many Malaysians drive to work than use public transportation
Did you know? 17,728,482 car units were registered as of December 2021. Without the statistics, we can also see the influx of car users on the road, especially in big cities like Kuala Lumpur.
Even though drivers know they have to go through jams every day, why do they still use their cars to work?
Here are some of the reasons:
- Private transport gives freedom for a person to move whenever they want
- No time restraint
- More privacy
- A short me-time before working
Undoubtedly, owning a car would be costly. It’s like the salary we get every month is used to pay for the maintenance, toll, oil and other aspects. This doesn’t include house rent and other expenses.
Is it better to use transportation services like Grab?
Some agree while others disagree.
The agreers:
- More convenient
- No need to rush
- Can relax before going to work
- Grab services are more efficient
- Don’t have to pay for parking and car maintenance
The disagreers:
- Not many Grab cars during peak hours
- The sum could be pricey since drivers charge more during peak hours
A user explained that car owners also benefit because they can travel freely. It also depends on their daily usage. If they’re solo drivers and have fewer commitments (are single), driving to work doesn’t seem too stressful. But this might change if they have other responsibilities like fetching or dropping off their family members.
Picture: Twitter Chan Wern Shen
Interestingly, many Malaysians think booking a Grab car is better because they have some alone time. Indeed, people want that peace of mind before going through another hectic working day.
Picture: Twitter Chan’s Version
Driving is tiring, especially for road users in KL. It’s not weird that many prefer booking a Grab to driving. The money spent on both ways is almost similar too.
Teringat ada satu girl tweet dia naik grab pergi balik and orang pertikaikan kenapa tak beli kereta at least Bezza/Axia sebab amount spend sama. She just want a peace of mind. I kind of agree with her. https://t.co/TWMS7fT89H
— Chan’s Version (@abchantek) January 31, 2023
What say you? Do you want to drive or use transportation services to work?
Sources: Twitter Mag, Twitter Chan’s Version, Twitter Chan Wern Shen, CEIC
