Disputes about the regulation of ride-sharing services such as Uber and Lyft have taken place from Honolulu to Mumbai. This week in Indonesia’s capital, the issue brought rush-hour traffic to a stand-still. HPR’s Bill Dorman has more in today’s Asia Minute.
Jakarta’s traffic is not a good place to be at the best of times. And Tuesday’s morning rush hour was definitely not the best of times.
That’s when a taxi strike began…and it stretched to include motorized rickshaws even some city bus drivers. The Jakarta Post says at least 10,000 drivers protested in several locations around the capital with events turning violent in some places as striking drivers clashed with others who tried to continue with business as usual.
Taxi drivers want the government to shut down app-based ride services—not just Uber, but others whose names may be less familiar here—such as Grab and Gojek. The drivers say they’re not only cutting into business…but they don’t face the same regulations as traditional cabs. That’s a familiar message, and one that’s drawn recent street protests in other cities—from Paris in January and London in February to New Delhi earlier this month.
In Jakarta, Indonesia’s Transport Minister proposed banning on-line app-based ride sharing services in December….but then quickly abandoned those plans after a very negative reaction from the public. President Joko Widodo backs the ride-sharing services as part of broadly reforming the economy…and while the governor of Jakarta supported peaceful protests…he called for taxi companies to fire anyone who commits violence.
