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Ministry orders app-based taxi firms to hand over driver data
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Vehicles pass a GrabCar billboard in Denpasar, Bali on Thursday. (thejakartapost.com/Ni Komang Erviani)
T
he Transportation Ministry will require application-based taxi companies to hand over data to the ministry so it can monitor the companies’ drivers as well as their compliance with regulations.
“Before October this year, we will arrange the regulation to access data from app-based taxi companies so we will know how many cars operate under those companies,” ministry sub directorate of people’s transportation head Ahmad Yani said on Tuesday.
Transportation Ministerial Regulation No. 32/2016 concerning app-based transportation will be implemented on Oct. 1, which means the granting of app-based licenses will shift from the transportation agency to the ministry. By knowing the number of vehicles, the ministry hopes to monitor vehicles that have not undergone roadworthy tests (kir) and drivers who have not obtained the required licenses.
Yani said many car owners refused to put their vehicles through a roadworthy test as they were afraid of lower prices if they want to sell the cars in the secondhand market. Cars that have passed the test are marked by a test plate, test sticker and rental vehicle sticker, which make some people avoid the test. Such a test is applied only to commercial vehicles and the assumption among buyers of secondhand cars is that commercial vehicles have more kilometers on the odometer and have received less care from their owners.
"We've given too much leeway to online taxi drivers but they don't appreciate us. Don't blame us if later we ask the communications ministry to shut down the application of drivers who don't comply with the regulations," Yani said. (evi)
