THE next generation has less enthusiasm to get behind the wheel of a car. This is in stark contrast to our generation, where 35 plus years ago, we eagerly awaited any chance to drive.
While kicking back and relaxing in a ride-hailing vehicle is all well and good, there are, however, some legitimate convenience concerns with the e-hailing system. Chief among them is the uncertainty of getting a ride, especially during peak hours.
The other awkward and inconvenient part of the ride-hailing process is perhaps tracking down the ride-hailing driver out on the street. The standing out there, looking and fretting where the other party is in relation to where you are is part of the whole experience, but it is still inconvenient. This issue is still only with the mature generation.
That said, ride-hailing has improved matters by adding more specific pickup and drop-off locations, plus improving its location services. Regardless of how technology has improved, ride-hailing will always begin with the frantic hand-waving and gesturing to hail the driver.
As little stress as possible
On the other hand, driving is not exactly a stress-free activity, either. Particularly in congested Kuala Lumpur, where most of the young are - or want to be , driving is most commonly accompanied with the headache of being stuck in traffic, and eventually the stress of looking for a parking space.
Living in the city too means public transit is good enough to make it to most destinations. Besides, if and when going out in a group, there will always be one kind soul within each friend group that is the ‘designated driver’ to mooch off for a free ride.
For the few times that a multi-stop trip needs to be made, or if one wants to go further afield, there is always the option of renting a SoCar or a GoCar for the few hours. Granted, there is the hassle of going to find the car, but nothing the tech-savvy youths of today can’t manage.
All this talk about being tech-savvy does lead to an interesting point about being beholden to the apps in hand. It’s something to certainly consider when all your mobility needs are in the hands of a few companies, and can only be accessed through your phone, when it has internet connection.
To ride or drive
As mentioned, to a petrolhead at least, there is no greater pleasure than to be behind the wheel of your own car.
To the non-petrolhead fraternity, too, having a car to your name that you can use any time, take anywhere, do anything (and everything) with is also a "nice-to-have". However, that is exactly what the younger generation think of car ownership these days – a nice-to-have.
This debate for car ownership is analogous to the debate between renting or owning a house. In the olden days, owning a house was a must for every man, woman and child. These days however, a mortgage is seen by many, in my generation at least, as an anchor to life, tying you down in one place. Many of the younger generation today prefer to just rent rather than buy, so that when better opportunities arise it is easier for them to uproot and chase those opportunities.
Soon car ownership may go the way of the housing market, too. Granted, there are still many out there who need a car. Families and businesses, especially in rural areas for instance. However, for the younger generation at least, car ownership isn’t really a necessity as it was in the past. – The Vibes, November 11, 2020
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