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Apply equal treatment to ride hailing apps: Association
Public transportation drivers stage a rally in front of the State Palace in Jakarta on Monday
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-: Public transportation drivers stage a rally in front of the State Palace in Jakarta on Monday. They were demanding the government ban app-based taxis and motorcycle taxis such as Uber, Grab and Go-Jek, which they say have a become a major threat to their livelihoods. Ride-hailing apps taxis are much cheaper than regular taxis.(JP/Seto Wardhana) (JP/Seto Wardhana)
Public transportation drivers stage a rally in front of the State Palace in Jakarta on Monday. They were demanding the government ban app-based taxis and motorcycle taxis such as Uber, Grab and Go-Jek, which they say have a become a major threat to their livelihoods. Ride-hailing apps taxis are much cheaper than regular taxis.(JP/Seto Wardhana)
Non-app ride providers have called on the government to apply equal treatment to ride hailing apps, urging their new competitors to become legal entities, pay tax and undertake periodic roadworthy test just like they are required to do.
"We are not in envy of their sophisticated technology. Our members already had apps before they came along. What we want is equal treatment," said Jakarta Organization of Land Transportation Owners (Organda) chairman Adrianto Djokosoetono on Tuesday in Jakarta.
Adrianto, who is also part of the Indonesia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) chairman of Land Transportation Committee, said the app-based rides must be scrutinized every year, display public yellow-colored plates and have the roadworthy results to show they're a legitimate entity to serve the public.
"We hope Uber cars will be registered too. Blocking them is not our purpose. In the end, people will have more options, the conventional taxi and the registered Uber car," said Carmelita Hartoto, Kadin's vice chairman of the Land Transportation Committee.
However, categorization of the ride hailing apps is ambiguous as it is not clear if they can be called a taxi or a rental car. A rental car in Indonesia uses private black-colored plates, and does not have to be scrutinized.
When asked about the possibility that the government had categorized the ride sharing cars as rental cars, and not taxis, Adrianto did not give a firm response. "But let's say you rent a car. Can you go out from the car and ride it again without additional charges?", he however remarked. (ags)
