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.

Jakarta Post

Migo service catches on in Jakarta, despite legal doubts

Mellow yellow: Two Jakartans try out the electric bicycles provided by China-based rental app Migo at one of its stations in Kota Bambu Utara, Palmerah, West Jakarta, on Wednesday

The Jakarta Post
Jakarta
Fri, February 15, 2019

Share This Article

Change Size

Migo service catches on in Jakarta, despite legal doubts

M

ellow yellow: Two Jakartans try out the electric bicycles provided by China-based rental app Migo at one of its stations in Kota Bambu Utara, Palmerah, West Jakarta, on Wednesday. The electric bicycle entered Jakarta in December last year.(JP/Jerry Adiguna)

In the past few months, distinctive yellow, electric scooters have become an increasingly common sight on the streets of the city.

The China-based electric-bicycle rental app Migo has provided its service in the capital since December 2018, after previously operating in Surabaya, East Java, since 2017.

The service has rapidly gained a following among Jakartans, ranging from students to office workers, however, confusion remains about the legality of the service.

Vincentius Benedict, a final-year undergraduate student in West Jakarta, uses Migo as an alternative to ride-hailing motorcycle taxis, as it is cheaper.

“Instead of online-based motorbike taxis, I opt for Migo to save on my travel expenses, because I have to run errands to many places from Kemanggisan, West Jakarta, to Grogol and Mangga Dua in North Jakarta, and it’s easier for me to drive by myself,” Vincent told The Jakarta Post on Monday.

Mutiara Hafifa, 21, an entrepreneur based in Bekasi, West Java, who tried Migo for the first time last week in Cililitan, said she was curious to try Migo as it had become a trend among young people in Jakarta.

“The bikes are cute. I see teenagers in Jakarta drive around on Migo bikes almost every afternoon,” she said.

After downloading the app, riders only need to pick a bike up from a nearby Migo station and then return it to any station when they are done.

The rent is only Rp 3,000 (20 US cents) per half hour, with no limit on distance. To guarantee the bikes are returned, users need to upload their phone number, personal information and an image of their ID during registration for approval.

Currently there are some 500 bicycles and 90 Migo stations in the capital.

Chairman and cofounder of Migo Howard Yu said the electric-bike was an affordable transportation alternative that was environmentally friendly for Jakarta, known for its traffic congestion and high air-pollution levels.

He said he aimed to increase the number of stations and bikes.

“As of early 2019, we expect the number of our e-bikes in Jakarta to reach 5,000,” Yu said, adding that if Migo was successful in Indonesia, the company would expand to Bangkok and Manila.

Halim, 31, a Migo partner who operates a station in a small alley amid the busy office area of Kuningan, South Jakarta, said he received Rp 3 million per month to manage the bikes. Since the station is only in the second month of operation he has yet to calculate whether he is making a profit or not.

In the beginning, Halim said, many curious people wanted to try the service out, but their interest had tapered off. Of the eight bikes available in his station, fewer than five are rented every day, mostly by teenagers, and herein lies the problem.

Migo requires users to be at least 17 years old and in possession of a driving license, but children have frequently been spotted using the bike-sharing app.

“Teenagers usually come on holidays. While most of our customers are workers during weekdays,” he said.

Confusion has arisen whether this type of vehicle is actually legally permitted on public roads.

Similar to ride-hailing providers Go-Jek and Grab, Migo’s permit has been issued by the Communications and Information Ministry not by the Transportation Ministry.

The Jakarta Police’s warning that they will ticket e-bike users has been questioned as there appears to be no regulation on electric bikes.

Furthermore, the bikes do not have vehicle registration documents (STNK) and therefore no license plates or vehicle ownership documents (BPKB).

“That being the case, what should we use as evidence for issuing the ticket?” the head of the Jatinegara Police traffic unit in East Jakarta, First Insp. Didik Sapto, said as quoted by jakarta.tribunnews.com.

Meanwhile, Jakarta Traffic Police law enforcement unit head Comr. Herman Ruswandi is more concerned about whether the e-bikes are roadworthy.

“We are still discussing this with the [Jakarta] Transportation Agency to figure out whether these electric bikes have passed a roadworthiness test,” Herman said on Wednesday, kompas.com reported.

According to Article 49 of Law No. 22/2009 on traffic and transportation, every motorized vehicle operating on the streets must pass a roadworthiness test and undergo periodic tests.

Separately, Migo Jakarta operational manager Sukamdani said the company was following up the Jakarta Police’s plan to ticket Migo users.

“Migo is currently applying for roadworthiness tests with the Transportation Ministry,” Sukamdani said on Tuesday, kontan.co.id reported.

Separately, Djoko Setijowarno, a public transportation expert from Soegijopranoto University, in Semarang, Central Jakarta, said that with the rise of Migo in Jakarta, the government needed to set certain provisions, such as strict age limits and lanes for the bikes immediately.

“It is important for the government to monitor and audit them. The Jakarta administration should also regulate this as soon as possible,” Djoko said. (ggq)      

 


{

Your Opinion Matters

Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.