IPOH, July 9 — Grab Malaysia has suggested customers pre-plan their booking in order to avoid long waiting times due to fewer drivers following new regulations for the e-hailing industry which kicks in starting July 12.

Grab Malaysia in a statement today said the company and its over 200,000 driver-partners are working hard to meet the requirements set by the regulation, which was formalised on April 19.

"Book earlier than usual. Book your ride earlier and be ready when the driver arrives, especially if you have a flight to catch or need to get to an important meeting.

"Ride during non-peak hours. Getting a ride is much easier outside the peak hours of 7am to 9am and 5pm to 8pm,” the statement read.

Grab said that it is also working closely with the Ministry of Transport, Road Transport Department, Land Public Transport Agency and Puspakom to help all existing and future Grab drivers meet the new rules and regulations quickly.

"Efforts include helping driver-partners cover the expenses incurred, inclusive of training, medical checks, vehicle inspections and public service vehicle licenses,” the statement further said.

"We hope this situation will be temporary and will continue to keep you updated. You may experience some inconvenience at first, but these changes are to ensure consistent quality across the e-hailing industry in the long run.”