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Taxi protest turns violent as drivers target other drivers
A protest against ride-hailing applications conducted by drivers from the Land Transportation Drivers Association (PPAD) turned violent on Tuesday as several taxi drivers allegedly attacked other taxis carrying passengers.
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Thousands of taxi drivers protest in front of the State Palace on March 14. They demanded the government close down ride-hailing applications such as Uber, Grab and Go-Jek, citing illegal operations and the apps' contribution to the decrease of traditional taxis' income. (thejakartapost.com/Wienda Parwitasari) (The Jakarta Post/Wienda Parwitasari)
A protest against ride-hailing applications conducted by drivers from the Land Transportation Drivers Association (PPAD) turned violent on Tuesday as several taxi drivers allegedly attacked other taxis carrying passengers.
Damaged Blue Bird taxis were seen on Jl. Gatot Subroto,driving slowly on the right side of the road, kompas.com reported.
The cars had broken windows and mirrors and damaged bodies.
One driver, who refused to be named, said the vehicle he was driving was damaged by other taxi drivers protesting in the Gatot Subroto area. The protestors stopped his car abruptly on the road.
"My passengers were forced to get out. My car was bumped and the protestors threatened to hit my passengers if they refused to get out," the driver told kompas.com, adding that he wanted to make a police report on the damage as evidence for repairs by his company.
The violence was the continuation of last week's protests where thousands of taxi and bus drivers opposed the mushrooming number of ride-hailing applications in big cities.
Last week they conducted peaceful protests at the State Palace, City Hall and the Communication and Information Ministry.
However, Tuesday's protest conducted by around 10,000 drivers in Greater Jakarta turned to anarchy as drivers took to the streets and stopped other taxis who were not taking part.
The public strongly opposed the protest. They voiced their opposition to the violence through social media accounts such as Twitter, Facebook and Path.
"Taxi protest turned anarchy. Let us reject anarchic taxis #TolakTaksiAnarkis," said Twitter user @ignatiusEry, as quoted by Tempo.co.
A social media user named Bayu uploaded a photo of taxi drivers forcing a passenger to get out of a vehicle in the middle of Jl. Gatot Subroto.
"In front of my eyes. A mother who was carrying her baby was forced to get out of the taxi," he wrote in the photo caption, as quoted by tempo.co. (rin)
