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Govt should accommodate taxi drivers’ aspirations: Organda
The Jakarta Organization of Land Transportation Owners (Organda) has expressed its regret over the lack of concern and commitment from the government to accommodate the aspirations of thousands of taxi drivers against the operation of ride-hailing applications, which drivers voiced during protests on Tuesday.
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Thousands of taxis from different operators are parked on Jl. Gatot Subroto in South Jakarta to block the road during a demonstration against the operation of ride-hailing apps on Tuesday. They said the operation of the new forms of public transportation were illegal and against fair competition laws. (thejakartapost.com/wienda parwitasari)
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he Jakarta Organization of Land Transportation Owners (Organda) has expressed its regret over the lack of concern and commitment from the government to accommodate the aspirations of thousands of taxi drivers against the operation of ride-hailing applications, which drivers voiced during protests on Tuesday.
Commenting on the anarchic protests initiated by a number of taxi drivers in Jakarta, Organda chairman Shafruhan Sinungan said the demonstrations occurred because the government did not seem to care about a protest staged last week and had failed to immediately accommodate and ease the drivers' insecurities.
"I have said several times that if the government does not clear up the situation there will be a clash," Shafruhan told thejakartapost.com on Tuesday.
Last week, Communications and Information Minister Rudiantara said that leading ride-hailing apps Uber and Grab had agreed to establish a cooperative as their legal entity in Indonesia to ensure compliance with transportation laws.
The decision to set up a business entity was made following the escalation of protests from taxi drivers who claimed the ride-hailing apps had led to a drastic reduction of revenue for conventional taxi drivers because of unfair price competition.
However, as the cooperative would take time to be established, Shafruhan said the government must take immediate measures to block the ride-hailing apps so that vehicles with black license plates would stop operating illegally.
According to Shafruhan, the issue does not lie in the smartphone apps being a result of IT advancements, but in the unregulated operation of black-plated cars used as public transportation.
The government was letting US-based Uber and Malaysian-based Grab make fun of Indonesia's law and Constitution, which regulate transportation permits, Shafruhan claimed.
Transportation Minister Ignasius Jonan had decided to side with the law, Shafruhan said, adding that Organda urged other ministers such as Rudiantara to mediate the dispute, particularly because he had authority over IT in the country.
Meanwhile, Shafruhan said Organda was not behind the demonstration and did not support it, instead saying it regretted the taxi drivers' display of anarchy.
Following a March. 14 plan from the Land Transportation Drivers Association (PPAD) to protest against ride-hailing apps such as Uber and Grab, Organda briefed taxi drivers, warning them not to become violent against ride-hailing apps’ drivers.
However, some taxi drivers who blocked Jl. Gatot Subroto in Jakarta on Tuesday did not only stop app-based vehicles, but also their fellow conventional taxi drivers who chose to operate as usual rather than take part in the protest, Shafruhan said.
"They should at least be sympathetic toward the people. If their intention is to protest against the government, they should not carry out anarchist actions as well."
