Ride-hailing apps run Indonesian tuk-tuks off road

Yahoo - AFP, Mackenzie Smith, March 25, 2018

Ride-hailing apps like the Grab motorcyle-taxi seen here are denting the fortunes
of traditional three-wheeled bajaj taxis in Indonesia (AFP Photo/BAY ISMOYO)

Auto-rickshaw driver Zainuddin used to make decent money navigating Jakarta's congested roads and narrow alleyways.

But now US-based Uber, Google-backed Go-Jek and Singapore's Grab are locked in a race for ride-hailing app supremacy in Southeast Asia's biggest economy, denting the fortunes of traditional three-wheeled bajaj taxis that once ruled Indonesia's roads.

"Our income has fallen between 70 and 80 percent since ride-hailing apps came on the scene," said Zainuddin, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.

There were some 14,000 bajaj on Indonesia's roads by 2015, according to the latest official figures.

By contrast, Go-Jek alone claims 900,000 drivers and some 15 million weekly active users. It launched in 2010.

Google and Singapore's sovereign wealth fund Temasek have announced investments in Go-Jek, which has been valued at as much as $5 billion although it's little known outside Asia.

Southeast Asia's ride-hailing market more than doubled in two years to some $5 billion in 2017 and it's expected to reach $20 billion by 2025, with Indonesia set to account for some 40 percent of it, according to research done by Google and Temasek.

Go-Jek, which also reportedly won funding from Chinese internet giant Tencent, has said it is mulling an initial public offering as it looks to grow in Indonesia and beyond.

That could inflate its army of motorcycle taxis, private cars and other services -- from massage and house cleaning to grocery shopping and package deliveries -- all available at users' fingertips.

Dragging behind its regional rivals, Uber is reportedly selling parts of its Southeast Asian operations to rival Grab in exchange for a stake in the Singaporean company.

No more haggling

The ride-hailing trio offer fixed-price rides that take haggling out of the equation, a welcome change for former bajaj customer Tetty Iskandar.

"I haven't taken a bajaj in years," said the 35-year-old housewife, who used to ride the three-wheelers to go grocery shopping.

"You had to bargain with the drivers to get cheap fares. And you would already have done bargaining a lot in the market. Sometimes I felt so tired and just wanted to get home."

The vast archipelago of some 260 million people has a relatively low per-capita car ownership rate.

For some, sitting in a tuk-tuk as it teeters and rumbles over Jakarta's roads offers

a connection to an older way of life (AFP Photo/BAY ISMOYO)

And vehicle owners often choose to leave their ride at home, opting instead for a fixed-price motorcycle that can zip through Jakarta's epic traffic congestion -- at a bargain-basement prices.

That is threatening bajaj -- not to mention regular cabs and ubiquitous motorbike taxis known as ojek -- which arrived in Indonesia during the 1970s.

The motorised rickshaw quickly made inroads under its namesake company, which hailed from India.

The name bajaj is now inked into Jakarta's lexicon after supplanting traditional bicycle taxis.

A distinctive blue model of the vehicle is still a common sight and while pollution-spewing older models are outlawed, some still ply the narrow alleyways of Indonesia's sprawling capital.

Government efforts to reduce traffic snarls by reintroducing bicycle taxis could further chip away at the market share of bajaj, which cannot operate on highways and certain busy streets.

'Nostalgic feeling'

Still, bajaj backers point out that the little tuk-tuks are safer than motorcycles which have higher injury and fatality rates.

"They are still a very useful means of transport when you have to go through small alleys and roads in Jakarta," said Danang Parikesit, president of the think tank Indonesia Transportation Society.

For some, sitting in a tuk-tuk as it teeters and rumbles over Jakarta's roads offers a connection to an older way of life.

"Riding bajaj has a unique sensation, a nostalgic feeling," said faithful customer Budiyanto.

In central Jakarta, bajaj line a curb, their drivers smoking or sleeping as swarms of motorbike drivers sporting Go-Jek or Grab windbreakers zip by on their way to collect customers.

Even if they wanted to switch to ride-hailing apps, it's too late for some older drivers.

"I cannot shift to an app-based motorcycle taxi because of my age," said driver Sutardi.

"Companies require that their drivers not be over 60."

Despite the threat of technology, some insist bajaj have a future, especially among customers who don't want to get soaked on the back of a motorbike or while waiting for a hired car during the months-long rainy season.

"Customers don't like to get wet," tuk-tuk driver Zainuddin said.

"It's not good for people when the rain comes, but bajaj drivers will be happy."

VIDEO: Auto-rickshaw drivers used to make decent money navigating Jakarta's congested roads and narrow alleyways. But now US-based Uber, Google-backed Go-Jek and Singapore's Grab are locked in a race for ride-hailing app supremacy in Southeast Asia's biggest economy pic.twitter.com/K0JkBB9GDZ

— AFP news agency (@AFP) March 25, 2018

Indonesia's Muslim women hail female-only motorbike taxis

Yahoo – AFP, Olivia Rondonuwu, December 30, 2015

Several motorbike taxi services with women drivers entered the Indonesian
 market in 2015 after years of growing piety in the country (AFP Photo/Bay Ismoyo)

Female motorbike taxi drivers in headscarves zig-zag through heavy traffic in the Indonesian capital Jakarta, the latest two-wheeled transport service for women making a dent in the male-dominated world of ride-hailing apps in the Muslim nation.

A flurry of new motorbike taxi options have in the past year appeared in the metropolis of 10 million, led by popular service Go-Jek, giving Indonesia's growing middle class a greater choice of transport to get through some of the world's worst traffic jams.

The services -- many inspired by ride-sharing app Uber and accessible on smartphones -- are a challenge to traditional motorbike taxis in Indonesia, known as "ojeks", which are ubiquitous but have drawn criticism with their dishevelled, dangerous drivers and unpredictable pricing.

Several services with women drivers entered the market in 2015 after years of growing piety in Indonesia, which has the world's biggest Muslim population, and amid heightened safety concerns following reports of attacks on women by male motorbike taxi drivers.

They are in part designed with religious sensitivities in mind, as an increasing number of Muslim women wear headscarves and follow strict interpretations of Islam that forbid close contact with the opposite sex, except between married couples.

"The need for transportation for women is huge, especially in big cities where rates of crime and sexual harassment are very high," Evilita Adriani, co-founder of motorbike taxi company Ojek Syari, told AFP.

Only Muslim drivers

Popularly known by its nickname "Ojesy", it is the service that aims most clearly at devout female passengers, requiring its drivers to be Muslim women wearing headscarves and loose-fitting clothes.

Ojesy drivers can currently only be hailed by a phone call or through mobile messaging service WhatsApp, but the service is also developing an app that was being tested out this month.

The service, which began in Indonesia's second-biggest city Surabaya in March before expanding across the main island of Java, only accepts female passengers or children.

"I feel more comfortable sharing a ride with a fellow Muslim woman," said Nurlaila, a Surabaya housewife who goes by one name.

She uses the service to take her children to school -- a common practice in the country where whole families often travel squashed together on a motorbike.

"Thank God for Ojesy."

The company says business is booming -- after starting in March with Adriani as its only driver, it now has 350 drivers.

Other motorbike taxi companies vying for a stake in the female market include app-based service LadyJek, whose drivers dress in pink jackets and helmets, and Sister-Ojek, a start-up that began operations earlier this year with capital of just $100.

Indonesia stands out for the number of motorbike taxi services aimed at women that it boasts, with female drivers relatively rare in many developing nations where the mode of transport is popular.

But they do exist in some other countries, including in Liberia where a group of female drivers, sick of being robbed, took to the wheel, reportedly donning pink helmets and jackets and calling themselves "The Pink Panthers".

The trend for motorbike taxi-hailing services started in earnest last year with Go-Jek in Jakarta, a general service for anyone wishing to order a motorbike ride, which was quickly followed by others such as GrabBike and Blu-jek.

Tough security measures

The women-only services are slightly more expensive than others, but insist they have better security measures.

Calls have been growing for heightened security after reports of women being stalked and harassed by male motorbike taxi drivers, while the rape of a young woman in India by an Uber driver last year also added to safety concerns about ride-hailing services.

LadyJek drivers can activate a loud alarm if they are attacked or feel threatened, while Ojesy and Sister-Ojek only operate between sunrise and sunset.

However the services are unlikely to overtake major competitors like Go-Jek as many women in Indonesia, where the majority practise a moderate form of Islam, have few qualms about taking a motorbike taxi driven by a man.

The services also try to make themselves attractive to drivers, with Ojesy allowing Muslim housewives and university students to work part-time.

GrabTaxi Enters Jakarta’s Motorcycle Taxi Service Market

Jakarta Globe, Vanesha Manuturi, May 20, 2015

Malaysia's GrabTaxi adds motorcycle jockeys to its line of services in Jakarta
 on Wednesday, as part of an expansion to cater to Indonesia's rapidly growing
urbani population. (Antara Photo/ Zabur Karuru)

Jakarta. Malaysia’s GrabTaxi is adding motorcycle jockeys to its services in Jakarta on Wednesday, as part of an expansion to cater to Indonesia’s rapidly growing urban population.

The Kuala Lumpur-based startup, which connects taxi drivers with customers through a smartphone application, rolled out the trial run of its “GrabBike” service starting Wednesday. The service focuses solely on motorcycle taxis, better known as ojek, according to a statement on Wednesday.

“GrabTaxi is strongly committed to create a safe and efficient transportation system in Southeast Asia. Ojek is a very popular mode of transportation in Indonesia, so [our entry] was only a matter of time,” Cheryl Goh, vice president of marketing at GrabTaxi Holding Group, said in a statement.

Under the trial version, the pickup service is currently limited to the business districts of South Jakarta – Kuningan and Setiabudi – although delivery or courier services will be available across the capital city in the future, according to the statement.

Jakarta is the third city where GrabTaxi is rolling out its GrabBike service, after Ho Ci Minh City and Hanoi in Vietnam last year.

GrabTaxi’s GrabBike service will be competing head to head with homegrown startup Go-jek, which has connected ojek drivers to customers for services ranging from transportation to courier since 2010.

GrabTaxi entered Jakarta offering online taxi booking services last June. It has since expanded to Surabaya, East Java and Padang, West Sumatra.

First established in Kuala Lumpur three years ago, GrabTaxi boasts an application that has been downloaded more than 4.4 million times while more than 83,000 customers and drivers are using its services across Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia.

GlobeAsisa

'Ojek' driver uses internet to move into fast lane

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 12/19/2008 10:23 AM  

Ojek driver with passenger

At busy intersections, housing complexes or outside shopping centers in Jakarta, one often sees men, of various ages, dressed in worn-out shirts, sitting on motorcycles and waving their hands at any pedestrian that walks by. 

They are ojek (motorcycle taxi) drivers, and when they ride, most of them will use whatever means possible to get to the destination as fast as possible. 

But an ojek driver in Bintaro, South Jakarta, named Arman looks and operates in style. 

He dons a dark blue jackets, wears purple shades, sports polished leather shoes and drives carefully. Unlike most ojek drivers, Arman offers his services through an Internet blog where visitors can find his contact number. 

Before becoming an ojek driver, Arman worked as a telephone operator and an office boy for a company in Jakarta. The company terminated his contract a year ago. 

He was 32, had no job and only a motorcycle in his possession. Not wanting to rely on anyone and facing difficulties job-hunting, the high school graduate decided to become an ojek driver. 

Many Jakartans use ojek for fast transportation through the congested metropolitan streets. He saw that the market for the service was always available, but he also knew that competition was stiff. 

During the first few months, like many other ojek drivers, Arman decided to wait for passengers at one of the ojek terminals near his home in Bintaro, but he faced bullying from senior ojek drivers there because he was new to the profession. 

"I felt isolated. So I moved away from the terminal and just looked for customers near my home," Arman told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday. 

With only two or three customers each day, the single man found it difficult to support himself. Arman knew if he returned to the terminal he would have to face more bullying. The situation forced him to find other means to promote his services and he tried the Internet. 

"I posted a small classified ad on a free advertising websites on the Internet. I was just giving it a try, turned out I had three calls from customers," he said 

One of his first customers, Handono, works as an IT consultant. He found Arman's classified while searching for ojek driver services in the Bintaro area using Google three weeks ago. 

"My motorcycle was down. The nearest ojek terminal from my home is a kilometer away. I tried my luck by searching for ojek services on Google. After a couple of search result pages, I found Arman's advertisement and gave him a call," Handono said. 

The next morning, Arman arrived on time at Handono's house. Handono said he was very surprised to see the ojek driver because he was very well-dressed. 

"I thought he would be dirty and smelly like most ojek drivers, but not only is he well-dressed, he drives very carefully," Handono said. 

Impressed with Arman's services, Handono then offered Arman another method to enhance his online promotion. 

"I told him that his ad was hard to find using Google. It would be more effective to build a website, so I made him a blog site," he said. 

Handono finished creating Arman's blog last week, posting an article on the advantages of using an ojek and Arman's contact number in the blog. 

After the blog was created, Arman said, he had more customers calling for his services, especially from the Bintaro area. Arman earns between Rp 5,000 (US$5) to Rp 15,000 for a one-way trip. 

"Now I have loyal customers, including mothers who want their children to be taken to school safely. They pay me in advance for a month of services. On average, I charge Rp 150,000 per month for per child," he said. 

Handono also posted information about Arman's services and blog on Indonesia's largest Internet forum, Kaskus. After the posting on Kaskus, the number of hits Arman's blog received increased significantly, Handono said. 

"I posted the link on Kaskus, there were at least 100 visitors in just an hour," he said. 

He said he and Arman became good friends. 

"I just wanted to help because I saw there was a man who was jobless and tried to work hard but the circumstances were all against him because of the bullying. 

But he never gave up and tried to innovate by using the Internet. I have the skills and pleased with his services, so I said to myself, 'why not?'," he said. 

"We run this ojek blog in a serious but fun way. In the future, I hope the blog will not only provide services in Bintaro, but will also build an Internet network of ojek drivers in Jakarta, so that every ojek driver in various areas can offer their services like Arman," Handono added. (hdt) 

Four tips to choose a good ojek driver:

1. The rider's countenance. Friendly faces with a smile are preferable to scary ones.
2. Motorcycle condition. A relatively new motorcycle will ensure customer safety and convenience during the ride. A good braking system always comes in handy to avoid collision with other vehicles.
3. Choose a rider wearing a helmet. A responsible ojek driver will always obey the rules and put safety above all else. A rider who refuses to wear a helmet will be more likely get caught by the police.
4. Age. An older driver will have more wisdom and experience serving their customers. Younger drivers tend to use ojek to channel their speeding desires, earning money at the same time.

Source: http://ojekbintaro.blogspot.com

Prosthesis helps man stay true to profession

Agnes Winarti, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta  | Thu, 11/13/2008 10:31 AM 

 LIFE IS GOOD AGAIN: Motorcycle taxi ojek driver Karma with his wife and three-year-old daughter. For the past four years Karma has been able to work again, thanks to his artificial leg. (JP/Agnes Winarti)

"Sorry, I think my leg is coming loose," said Karma, a motorcycle taxi ojek driver, one evening during a downpour. 

"I am sorry, what did you say?" said his passenger on the back of the motorcycle. 

Apologizing, Karma asked her to switch to another ojek driver. 

"My artificial leg was getting wet and heavy. I could not continue driving. We always laugh when recalling that incident," Karma told The Jakarta Post recently with his wife. They live together near Darul Mustaqiem, opposite Manggarai train station in South Jakarta. 

Forty-something Karma and wife Erni never imagined they could laugh at such an experience, or even dream he would ride his ojek again. 

Six years ago Karma was hit by a motorcycle while heading home from his ojek shift at Manggarai train station. 

Instead of going straight to hospital, he followed relatives' advice and sought treatment from a traditional healer specializing in broken bones in Cimande, West Java. 

The six-month treatment turned out to be a disaster. The healer could not fix his broken right leg, and it developed rot. Karma was rushed to the nearest Red Cross Hospital in Bogor, but his right leg had to be amputated below the knee. 

After the surgery, he did not work for two years and relied on his wife for support. She worked as a mobile salesperson traveling to housing complexes to sell cooking utensils. 

"I was frustrated," said the father of four. "I had no other skills which I could use to earn some money. Opening a business was not an option, since I required large start-up capital." 

In 2004 Karma met a man who required a polio brace to assist him in walking, despite having both his legs intact. The man worked at a specialist store for prosthetic devices. 

The man suggested Karma try a device from the store to see if it assisted him in day-to-day living. 

After submitting his identity card, profile photograph and evidence of his low socio-economic status, Karma, like hundreds before him, was given a free prosthetic leg from the store. The device was provided to Karma if he agreed to participate in the Peduli Kasih program, a charity organized by TV station Indosiar. 

Through the program, Karma learnt to walk again and even managed to overcome his doubts and attempt to ride a motorcycle. 

"I can ride a motorcycle again and even take a passenger on the back. So, I decided to return to my ojek post." 

Erni, despite her concerns, let him become an ojek driver again. 

"At first I was worried, but then I realized it was the only way he could feed the family. So I could not say no," she said. 

He earns Rp 600,000 a month from his ojek work, while his wife works periodically as a masseuse. 

"This artificial leg has been incredibly useful. Not only can I ride the ojek again, but more importantly I am the breadwinner in my family once more," Karma said. 

The hardest aspect of being an ojek driver with a prosthetic leg, Karma said, was combating the rainy season. 

"It is difficult to ride a motorcycle when it is raining, and it is impossible to prevent my leg from becoming wet. Once it is soaked, it becomes loose and heavy. If it rains, I have to head home." 

Karma said despite this difficultly, he would continue his work as an ojek driver. He said no other work suited him, and he would not be able to obtain a different license because of his physical condition. 

"Nobody notices my defect, except my regular customers, who are fine with it."

Ojek, The fun and the oh-so-unreliable public transport alternative

The Jakarta Post

As a news reporter, traversing all the five municipalities of Jakarta every day is the norm.

But getting back to the office in time to meet deadlines amidst horrendous evening traffic is something else.

None of Jakarta's public transport is without its flaws.

Taking the bus means extra guts -- and a lot of sweat -- to bear the drivers' breakneck, reckless driving. Taking the train means dealing with thieves.

Taxis are expensive and can't beat the traffic, while bajaj (three-wheeled motorized vehicle) are just too noisy.

So I settle on ojek (motorcycle taxis) as the answer to all my problems.

In a city of more than seven million people, which doubles in daytime, more than 2.5 million private cars and 3.8 million motorcycles ply the streets. According to data from the transportation agency, 1,035 additional motorcycles and 296 cars enter Jakarta every day. But there is no accurate data on the number of ojek in the capital.

Riding an ojek means saving time, some cash and getting a little extra air to breath, even if the air quality might be doubtful. At very least, ojek can take me everywhere in no time, including the city's narrow streets.

But it's not all perfect.

If I bargain with ojek drivers over the fare when there's heavy traffic, most times they will try to raise the price. Just like yesterday when I asked an ojek driver to take me to my rented room in Kalibata, Pasar Minggu from Tanah Abang. He asked me for Rp 35,000 (US$3.8) to cover the trip.

"I better ride a taxi for Rp 35,000," I said. When I asked him to reduce it to Rp 15,000, he asked for Rp 20,000. "The traffic is jammed up," he said.

"Of course, this is Jakarta," I said.

And when I gave it a second thought I realized something else. He was charging me for a traffic jam, something that I had absolutely nothing to do with.

Besides, as an ojek driver isn't he supposed to get used to Jakarta's traffic?

I ended up agreeing even though I was a little irritated with the request.

He then drove me home through Kuningan, one of Jakarta's most traffic prone streets.

From any of the alternative streets why on earth would he have chosen Kuningan, I thought. But since he was driving, I didn't want to interrupt him with the question.

When we arrived, I asked the driver to wait for me and take me somewhere else. When I asked him how much I was supposed to pay him for that, he asked the same price as before, giving the same reason of traffic, even though the next destination was not as far as the last.

But since I was in a hurry I didn't think much of it and so accepted his offer. And then once again he drove through Kuningan, again avoiding the closer and less congested option closer to Jl. Medan Merdeka, my destination.

The driver apparently only knew the road he usually takes from his house Tanah Abang. But it makes me wonder: What are we paying for?

If taxis can use a meter, what can't ojek drivers? Are they charging us for every bead of perspiration they produce on each trip. Or is it the total energy they expend?

Or is it that because they know little about Jakarta's roads -- or at least pretend to, like many taxi drivers?

I'm no longer wondering why more and more people are taking their bikes to work.

Too bad the city administration doesn't seem to be excited about supporting bikers by building bikeways for them. It's just another reason I haven't yet been convinced to buy one myself.

-- Irawaty Wardany

Van drivers strike for better road

The Jakarta Post

BEKASI: Public minivan drivers in Bekasi went on strike Wednesday, leaving hundreds of commuters stranded.

The drivers, from six routes in the municipality, demanded the local administration repair the severely damaged road connecting Jl. Raya Pekayon and Pondok Gede.

Drivers said the potholes along the 12-kilometer strip had cut down the number of trips they could do each day.

"We've lost two trips per day ... We usually took two hours for one trip, now it's three hours," Yayat, a driver, was quoted as saying by Tempointeraktif.com.

The strike forced Asrul, student of state junior high school SMPN 35 in Jati Mekar, Pondok Gede, to hitch a ride on a platform truck.

"It's cheaper taking an ojek (motorcycle taxi), which costs Rp 15,000 to get to school," he said.

The student concession fare for public minivans is Rp 2,000.

The administration started to cover the potholes yesterday afternoon in response to the protest.

'Ojek' keep on the left side of the law

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

If you can't beat them, befriend them. That was the catch cry as police invited more than 3,500 ojek (motorcycle taxi) drivers to the opening of their keep-left safety campaign on Wednesday.

The ubiquitous, zig-zagging public transportation mode, based at an estimated 10,000 ojek posts throughout the city, has often been blamed for worsening the city's traffic chaos.

Head of the traffic unit at the city police, Sr. Comr. Djoko Susilo, said the campaign is being held to promote safe riding habits among the ojek drivers.

"We want to improve their riding skills and their understanding of the importance of safe riding as well as their obedience of traffic signs," he said.

The campaign is urging motorists to equip themselves with compulsory gear, including helmets. It is also aimed at improving ojek drivers' knowledge of traffic rules and signs.

Police records show the massive number of motorcycles on Jakarta's streets have made a significant contribution to the city's hefty road toll.

Between January and March this year, police recorded 150 accidents resulting in 51 deaths, 14 serious injuries and 68 light injuries. The data also shows that 15 of those who died were victims of hit and run accidents.

Police also issued around 9,000 tickets for traffic violations during the period, a reflection of Jakarta motorist's notorious tendency to flout road rules.

The police are monitoring at least eight accident-prone areas in Greater Jakarta: Jl. Letjen Soeprapto in Central Jakarta, Jl. Gatot Subroto in South Jakarta, Jl. S. Parman in West Jakarta, Jl. Perintis Kemerdekaan in North Jakarta, and Jl. D.I Panjaitan in East Jakarta, as well as Jl. Thamrin in Tangerang, Jl.A. Yani in Bekasi, and Jl. Margonda in Depok.

During the safe riding campaign, the ojek drivers rode from the city police courtyard on Jl. Gatot Subroto to Slipi, West Jakarta, then turned around, heading to Cawang, East Jakarta, and back to the Jakarta police headquarters.