TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Popular Reads
Top Results
No results found. Please check your search term and try again
Can't find what you're looking for?
View all search results
Popular Reads
Top Results
No results found. Please check your search term and try again
Can't find what you're looking for?
View all search resultsJakarta Police’s ‘ojol’ tip-off draws criticism over abuse, timing
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
An ojol (online motorcycle transportation) driver (center) and police officer (right) salute each other during a peace rally in Jakarta on Sept. 2, 2025, after deadly protests following the killing of a young ojol driver by police tactical vehicle. At least 10 people died during violent protests sparked by lavish perks for lawmakers that have widened to include anger against police brutality. (AFP/Bay Ismoyo)
A
new Jakarta Police program offering cash rewards to ojol (online motorcycle transportation drivers) who “help maintain road safety and monitor crimes” has been met with skepticism, with transport unions cautioning it could spark tensions and potential abuses of authority.
The initiative currently involves 22 ojol registered under a newly formed group called Ojol Kamtibmas, short for keamanan dan ketertiban masyarakat or “security and public order.” The group was inaugurated last week alongside Gerai Rakyat Mart, a grocery store at Juanda Station in Central Jakarta, which also serves as its base.
Police said participation was voluntary and apolitical, with members provided with special uniforms while assisting officers in monitoring roadside security across the city.
“Since our ojol friends spend almost 24 hours on the roads, they may encounter or witness criminal activities. If they report them, the police chief will provide incentives,” Jakarta Police deputy chief Brig. Gen. Dekananto Eko Purwono said on Friday, as quoted by Antara.
Drivers who submit crime-scene footage deemed useful for investigations can receive Rp 500,000 (US$30). Dekananto stressed that the program was intended to encourage community involvement in maintaining security.
Read also: Doubts cast on police’s own reform team
However, the move has been met with skepticism from the public, with critics arguing the program is unnecessary and risks inflaming tensions, particularly as the police continue to face demands for reform.
