Tempo Eskplainer: Bisnis Ojol Melejit, Mengapa Pengemudinya Tidak Sejahtera?

Summary

The rapid growth of Indonesia's online motorcycle taxi industry, driven by platforms like Gojek and Grab, has resulted in significant financial success. However, despite increasing transaction values, drivers' welfare remains stagnant due to non-compliance with labor laws, limited benefits, and high commission cuts. Drivers are demanding better pay, benefits, and lower commission fees. Industry experts suggest that the current partnership model between platform companies and drivers needs to be revised for fairness, with calls for government intervention to ensure a more equitable working environment.

Takeaways

• 😀 The digital economy in Indonesia is growing rapidly, with online motorcycle taxi transactions projected to reach $9 billion in 2024, a 13% increase from the previous year.
• 😀 Online motorcycle taxi platforms like Gojek and Grab have shown solid financial performance, with Gojek's net revenue reaching 4.23 trillion IDR in Q1 2025, a 4% increase year-on-year.
• 😀 Despite strong revenue growth, the welfare of drivers has stagnated, with drivers not receiving basic employment benefits like fixed salaries, leave, health insurance, or pensions.
• 😀 The partnership model between platform companies and drivers prevents drivers from being categorized as employees, which limits their access to worker protections under Indonesian labor laws.
• 😀 On May 20, 2025, online motorcycle taxi drivers held a demonstration in Jakarta, demanding the abolition of the partnership model and asking for better compensation and benefits.
• 😀 Drivers are also pushing for a reduction in commission fees, with demands to limit them to a maximum of 10%, compared to the current fees of up to 50% in some cases.
• 😀 Platform companies like Gojek and Grab have been criticized for charging commission fees that exceed the regulations set by the Ministry of Transportation, with some reports indicating fees as high as 30-50%.
• 😀 Gojek denies that commission cuts exceed 20%, while Grab has rejected demands to reduce their fee structure, citing the need to fund services like app development and customer support.
• 😀 Digital economist Herustadi argues that the growth of the online motorcycle taxi sector is promising, but current income distribution is unfair, especially given the economic challenges faced by consumers.
• 😀 Herustadi calls for government intervention to facilitate dialogue between all stakeholders—platform companies, drivers, consumers, and regulators—to create a fairer working model.

Q & A

What is the projected value of online motorcycle taxi transactions in Indonesia in 2024?

The value of online motorcycle taxi transactions in Indonesia in 2024 is projected to reach 9 billion USD, which is approximately Rp11.9 trillion.

What growth did the online motorcycle taxi transaction value experience from the previous year?

The transaction value grew by 13% compared to the previous year.

What was Goto Gojek Tokopedia's net revenue in the first quarter of 2025?

In the first quarter of 2025, PT Goto Gojek Tokopedia Tbk posted a net revenue of Rp4.23 trillion, marking a 4% increase from the same period the previous year.

What financial change did Grab experience in the first quarter of 2025?

Grab achieved a revenue of 773 million USD, an 18% increase compared to the same period in 2024. Additionally, they recorded a net profit of 10 million USD, reversing a loss of 115 million USD in the first quarter of 2024.

What issue did Lili Pujiati highlight regarding the welfare of online motorcycle taxi drivers?

Lili Pujiati, Chairperson of the Indonesian Transport Workers Union, pointed out that despite the growth in the red-hailing industry, the welfare of drivers has stagnated or worsened due to non-compliance with labor laws by platform companies.

Why are online motorcycle taxi drivers not entitled to the same employment rights as permanent employees?

Online motorcycle taxi drivers are categorized as 'partners,' not permanent employees, which means they do not receive basic employment rights like a fixed salary, leave, health insurance, or pensions.

What demand did online motorcycle taxi drivers make during the May 20, 2025 demonstration in Central Jakarta?

The drivers demanded the abolition of the partnership scheme, replacing it with employee status, and requested a reduction in passenger fares and a cap on application commission fees at 10%.

What is the maximum commission fee set by the Minister of Transportation's Decree Number 667 of 2022?

The maximum commission fee set by the Minister of Transportation's Decree Number 667 of 2022 is 20%.

What discrepancy did SPHI highlight regarding commission fees charged by platform companies?

SPHI noted that platform companies were violating regulations by charging commission fees as high as 30% to 50%, exceeding the legal limit of 20%.

How did Grab justify its refusal to lower its commission fee from 20% to 10%?

Grab explained that the 20% commission fee is used to fund services such as application development, operations, 24-hour customer service, free in-app calls, and travel insurance.

What recommendation did digital economist Herustadi make regarding the partnership model between app providers and drivers?

Herustadi recommended that the partnership model between app providers and driver partners needs to be reorganized to ensure fairness and that the government should intervene to facilitate dialogue between all parties involved to formulate a fair working model.