{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1608737,
        "msgid": "online-motorcycle-taxi-crisis-drivers-deliberately-turn-off-apps-during-peak-traffic-hours-1773323576",
        "date": "2026-03-12 19:38:50",
        "title": "Online Motorcycle Taxi Crisis: Drivers Deliberately Turn Off Apps During Peak Traffic Hours",
        "author": "Abdul Haris Maulana",
        "source": "KOMPAS",
        "tags": "",
        "topic": "Regulation",
        "summary": "Online motorcycle taxi drivers in Jakarta are deliberately switching off their applications during peak traffic hours, particularly in the late afternoon when gridlock is severe, citing inadequate fares that do not reflect the time and fuel costs incurred. The crisis stems from systemic issues including fixed tariff structures that do not account for congestion, a 20 per cent application commission per trip, and an inefficient order allocation system that sends drivers to distant pickup points. This widespread practice is forcing drivers to seek alternative income sources outside the application-based system during peak demand periods.",
        "content": "<p>JAKARTA \u2014 The phenomenon of an \u201conline motorcycle taxi crisis,\u201d\ncharacterised by the difficulty of obtaining online motorcycle taxi\n(ojol) drivers during busy periods, particularly in the late afternoon\napproaching the Muslim prayer of breaking the fast, stems from fare\nrates that drivers consider inadequate.<\/p>\n<p>Yanto (42), a driver who frequently works in the Palmerah area of\nWest Jakarta, confirmed that many online taxi drivers deliberately\nswitch off their applications during these congested hours.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDuring peak office-leaving hours in Jakarta, the traffic congestion\nis immense. A journey that normally takes 15 minutes can take 40 minutes\nor an hour. The problem is that the fare doesn\u2019t increase accordingly;\nit stays the same. We waste our time and burn fuel,\u201d Yanto explained\nwhen interviewed in Palmerah on Thursday (12 March 2026).<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur daily earnings tend to decline because we choose to go offline\nbefore the fast breaks rather than get stuck in traffic,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, he maximises his work during daytime and evening hours until\nthe pre-dawn meal.<\/p>\n<p>Similar complaints come from Fajri, a driver who has been working in\nthe West Jakarta area since 2020. He highlighted deficiencies in the\ntariff system that fail to account for travel time and distance to the\npickup location amid congestion.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe only get paid from the customer\u2019s location to their destination.\nThe distance we travel from our base to reach the pickup point, we also\nencounter traffic, but this isn\u2019t counted in the fare\u2014it\u2019s not included\nin the calculation,\u201d Fajri complained.<\/p>\n<p>Fajri also criticised the order allocation system, which frequently\nsends drivers to distant pickup points even when other drivers are\navailable nearby.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI once received a distant order. I told the passenger to wait. Then\nthe passenger cancelled it. My rating still went down,\u201d he\nexplained.<\/p>\n<p>This system has prompted some drivers to begin offering informal\nmotorcycle taxi services without using the application in office areas\nduring peak hours.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, the application\u2019s 20 per cent commission per trip is\nconsidered excessive.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe pickup is in traffic, the dropoff is in traffic, the fare is\n15,000 rupiah, and we only get 10,000 rupiah after the commission. It\u2019s\ndemoralising, frankly,\u201d Fajri said.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/online-motorcycle-taxi-crisis-drivers-deliberately-turn-off-apps-during-peak-traffic-hours-1773323576",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}