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Minivan drivers face uphill financial struggle
Miktrotrans drivers get a salary “far below what is decent”, one protesting driver said. Each driver is required to meet a daily target of 100 kilometers of travel to receive the full daily wage of Rp 150,000 (US$9.28), which still puts them below Jakarta's minimum monthly wage.
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Angkot (public minivan) drivers demonstrate in front of City Hall in Central Jakarta on July 30, 2024. The drivers called on the city administration to change their wage scheme to allow them to earn at least the statutory minimum wage. (Antara/Bayu Pratama S)
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t a security post in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, on Friday, two drivers for the Mikrotrans angkot (public minivan) service were taking a rest after driving through small alleys transporting hundreds of Jakarta commuters.
A 40-year-old driver named Mukid said he could travel some 90 kilometers going back and forth between Tanah Abang and Grogol in one morning shift, from 5:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. He estimated that he picked up some 250 passengers as he made stops near key public buildings, including the Tanah Abang railway station and Harapan Kita Hospital.
Meanwhile, in the afternoon, his co-driver would operate the minivan and bring another 250 passengers along the same busy route, which was packed with cars, buses and motorcycles every rush hour.
Despite comprising the backbone of the capital’s public transportation, Miktrotrans drivers get a salary “far below what is decent”, he said. Each driver is required to meet a daily target of 100 kilometers of travel to receive the full daily wage of Rp 150,000 (US$9.28).
Mukid said it was difficult to reach that target amid Jakarta’s infamous traffic. And even if he met it consistently within 28 working days in a month, he would only make around Rp 4 million, below the city’s minimum wage of Rp 5 million.
Read also: Mikrotrans drivers protest distance-based wage scheme
Another driver, Budiman, said it was impossible to earn the statutory minimum wage in the job, given the current calculation formula and Jakarta’s packed roads.
