Online motorcycle taxi service Go-Jek has been generally welcomed in Bali and plans to recruit more drivers this year despite some resistance from local conventional ojek (motorcycle taxi) drivers
nline motorcycle taxi service Go-Jek has been generally welcomed in Bali and plans to recruit more drivers this year despite some resistance from local conventional ojek (motorcycle taxi) drivers.
'We explain our business to conventional ojek drivers all over Bali, emphasizing that we are not a competitor. And, we ask them to join us and the response has been good so far, with some of them signing up,' Go-Jek Bali operational manager Doni Setiawan said, as quoted by kompas.com on Thursday.
Doni added that the company aimed to recruit 10,000 new drivers in Bali this year.
Conventional ojek drivers in Denpasar, Bali, have been shaken by the arrival of Go-Jek on the island in January. However, instead of putting up resistance as happened in Jakarta, ojek drivers in Bali seem to be accepting of Go-Jek as long as harmony is maintained.
One Denpasar ojek driver of ten years, Wayan Darma, said he preferred to not join Go-Jek because he felt his daily income was adequate, earning between Rp 50,000 (US$3.6) and Rp 100,000 by offering the service in the conventional way.
'The livelihoods of people are for God to decide, we can only do our best. I am 54 years old, well beyond Go-Jek's maximum driver age of 50. Therefore, my place is as a conventional ojek driver. Also, I have regular customers that I must attend to every day,' said Wayan Darma.
Another driver, Made Redika, shares Wayan's opinion.
'The situation is calmer here in Bali; as long as nobody bothers anybody then it is fine to do business ' any business. As for now, I'd rather drive conventional ojek while helping my wife in our kiosk. Rp 50,000 per day is enough for me.' (rad/ika)
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