JAKARTA: Hundreds of taxi and delivery drivers joined protests in several cities across Indonesia on Tuesday (May 20) over low wages and to oppose a planned merger between the country’s largest tech company GoTo and US-listed ride-hailing rival Grab.
Ride-hailing and delivery services, especially by motorcycle, are a critical part of the transport landscape in Southeast Asia’s largest economy, especially in big cities.
GoTo’s unit Gojek, which has more than 3.1 million motorcycle drivers on its books, and Singapore-headquartered Grab have dominated the Indonesian market for years.
Drivers gathered in the early afternoon near the president’s office, parliamentary buildings, and the office of the transport ministry in Jakarta, dressed in their trademark green jackets and helmets.
They delivered fiery speeches through loudspeakers, waved flags and held up posters criticising what they said were unfair and exploitative company policies. Drivers, who say they typically make between 100,000 rupiah (US$6.09) and 150,000 rupiah for 10 to 12 hours a day, also rode in a convoy through some of the capital’s major streets.
GoTo said in a statement it was open to drivers’ input but reducing the company’s share of fares was not a solution. On the merger plan, it said it had received proposals from various parties but had “not made any decision.”
Grab did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Drivers asked the government to ensure they received 90 per cent of the fare from each trip, Raden Igun Wicaksono, the head of the online motorcycle driver association, told Reuters.
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