Renting vehicles is common practice in Indonesia\u2019s holiday destinations like Bali, where sightseeing is a main draw and mobility
\nis necessary. However, one doesn\u2019t often hear of folks renting cars in megacities like Jakarta, as most of the time they just
\nhop into one of the many taxis swarming the streets. It could also be due to the fact that the chaotic streets are intimidating,
\nand navigating the city is a daunting task if you\u2019re fresh off the plane. However, with more regional commuters traveling back
\nand forth to Jakarta, it seems likely that a healthy demand for car rentals in Indonesia is there.<\/p>\n
Lepaskunci (which translates to \u201coff key\u201d) is an online marketplace for renting vehicles and chauffer services in the
\narchipelago. It\u2019s different from traditional car rental services like Hertz or Avis because anyone who comes to the site can put
\ntheir vehicle and service up for grabs. According to Lepaskunci founder Suhartanto Raharjo, the site is meant for both average
\ncitizens to generate income from idle vehicles, as well as to provide new business opportunities to drivers.
\nSomewhere between Uber and Avis<\/p>\n
Those savvy about ridesharing apps like Uber and GrabTaxi might wonder what the unique value proposition is for Lepaskunci. The
\nmodel differs from ridesharing apps because it\u2019s not an on-demand service. Instead, users select and drive the cars themselves.
\nThe site offers users the option to browse by city and vehicle preference.<\/p>\n
Users can also choose whether they want a personal driver \u2013 with both male and female options available. Lepaskunci users can
\nalso specify the duration of time for their rentals.<\/p>\n
According to Raharjo, drivers who want to rent out their cars and services through Lepaskunci must undergo a screening process.
\nThey must prove that they are the real owner of the vehicle, provide original documents, and submit a matching driver\u2019s license.
\nThey must also prove that the car is insured. Those who sign up as drivers must submit their licenses and undergo a background
\ncheck, says Raharjo.<\/p>\n
While it\u2019s unclear what steps Lepaskunci takes to ensure drivers pass its background check, the issue of user safety in
\ntransportation startups is a sensitive topic across Asia. Incidents of assault have been reported in places like India, and last
\nweek, a woman was raped by a driver while using one of China\u2019s private-car apps in Guangzhou.<\/p>\n
Last week in Jakarta, five Uber drivers were arrested because the local government decided the company is running an illegal
\nservice and operating without the proper permits.<\/p>\n
Jumping the gun and ironing out kinks<\/p>\n
The idea of a car rental and chauffeur service marketplace in Indonesia is interesting, as it helps solve traffic and navigation
\nproblems for newcomers and those who don\u2019t want to buy their own cars. However, there are still a lot of risks to consider,
\nnamely what would happen in the case of an accident. Just because a car is insured in Indonesia doesn\u2019t mean that the person
\ndriving the vehicle is not liable for damage done in the event of a collision \u2013 and not to mention damage to other vehicles. The
\nlist of legal question marks goes on.<\/p>\n
Lepaskunci is still in an early phase of development. Because of this, the site is not yet set up so that folks can directly
\nstart clicking to make bookings, although Raharjo says it will be soon. Instead, at the moment, Lepaskunci is merely listing
\ncars and drivers, along with pictures and contact information, then letting users connect on their own. Essentially, this means
\nthat Lepaskunci is allowing itself to be disintermediated, which critics could argue is not a sound strategy.<\/p>\n
Raharjo assures Tech in Asia, however, that a direct booking feature will indeed be an integral part of the business model,
\nalong with an escrow service for payments. Raharjo says Lepaskunci aims to collect a 10 percent commission from each car rental
\nprocessed through its site. 10 percent seems like an awfully steep figure, especially for an early stage startup that\u2019s looking
\nto grow its user base. However, as Lepaskunci is a brand new firm that just launched on June 12, it\u2019s likely that the startup
\nwill make some swift adjustments to achieve product-market fit.<\/p>\n
In Indonesia, Lepaskunci will compete with traditional car rental services, but also similar local startups like Drive, another
\ncar rental marketplace that lets users order directly from its platform. Jakarta-based Tiket also offers a similar service.<\/p>\n
Following the launch, Raharjo says the site currently has around 100 registered users, with about 50 cars available. The main
\ngoal of Lepaskunci is to increase its inventory of vehicles, drivers, and overall offerings in its first phase. In the future,
\nthe firm aims to cooperate with car rental insurance companies to smooth out legality problems. It\u2019s also looking to release a
\nmobile app.<\/p>\n
Editing by Osman Husain and Steven Millward; lead image by Muhammad Rasyid Prabowo.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/this-new-indonesian-startup-is-a-cross-between-uber-and-avis", "image": "lepaskunci.jpg" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }