Ojol Drivers' Responses After Prabowo Wants App Operators to Cut Commissions

President Prabowo Subianto wants commission fees for online motorcycle taxi (ojol) app operators to be below 10 per cent. This desire has been responded to by the ojol drivers.

As compiled by detikcom on Saturday (2/5/2026), the wish was expressed by Prabowo during the International Labour Day or May Day commemoration at Monas, Central Jakarta, on Friday (1/5). Prabowo initially asked if ojol drivers wanted the commission fee for app operators to be just 10 per cent.

“You want 10%, right? I say here, I don’t agree with 10%. It must be below 10%,” said Prabowo, greeted with cheers from the attending workers’ masses.

“It’s too easy, you sweat, they get the money, sorry. If they don’t want to join us, they don’t need to operate in Indonesia,” he added.

Prabowo reiterated that he has signed Presidential Regulation Number 27 of 2026 on the Protection of Online Transport Workers. According to him, online transport workers must be provided with health BPJS and a minimum wage share of 92 per cent.

“Earlier I said they must be given work accident insurance, will also be given BPJS health and income sharing from 80% for drivers, now becoming a minimum of 92% for drivers,” he added.

Drivers Hope It Becomes Reality

Online motorcycle taxi drivers have positively received Prabowo’s statement. Diah (49), a Gojek driver who has been on the road since 2015, admitted she greatly desires such a policy. According to her, a cut below 10 per cent would be very relieving.

“Wow, that’s very good! I like it, I want it. That’s the dream of all drivers,” said Diah when met in between the May Day action in the Monas area, on Friday (1/5).

Diah shared that the current 20 per cent cut is very burdensome, especially for the ‘budget’ feature service. She exemplified that for a budget service fare of Rp 20,000, drivers sometimes only receive a net of around Rp 17,000 after the app fee deduction.

“Our point is, if it’s already budget, it’s already cheap, Rp 27,000 becomes Rp 20,000, but we still get the cut. The cut should be borne by the app operator. If it’s only 10 per cent or below, it would certainly be much lighter for us,” she added.

In line with Diah, Sule (46), another ojol driver who started operating in 2019, also welcomed Prabowo’s plan. However, Sule hopes it is not just a promise.

“If that (8 per cent cut) is realised, it would be better, but prove it first in the future if it’s really true. Don’t like before, they said we would get big THR, in reality from 2019 until now I only got Rp 50,000,” said Sule.

Sule mentioned that currently drivers’ incomes are increasingly squeezed by operational costs. From motorbike rentals to battery purchases for electric motorbike users.

Therefore, according to him, if the app operator cut remains at 20 per cent, the income that can be taken home becomes very minimal.

“Our income can’t make it home if the cut is still big. So if Mr Prabowo says 92% for drivers, that’s fair. But yeah, don’t let it not reach us or not be realised at the app operator’s office,” hoped Sule.

Ojol Happy But Worried

Grab driver Isa (49) admitted to having mixed feelings. On one hand, she is grateful that the government has finally responded to the drivers’ demands that have been voiced for the past three years.

However, she worries that app operators will find other loopholes to cover the commission reduction.

“To be honest, I believe and don’t believe. I’m afraid that this (commission) is lowered, but there’s another side that they raise. For example, customers still pay Rp 28,000, we still get that amount because the service fee or app cost is increased,” said Isa when met in South Jakarta on Saturday (2/5).

According to her, transparency regarding service fees is still very minimal. Drivers, she said, often don’t know why the cut in one transaction can differ greatly from another.

“This fee is a problem, the app operator sets it arbitrarily. Sometimes Rp 3,000, sometimes Rp 5,000. If the commission goes down but the service fee goes up, customers still pay expensively, and our income remains the same. That’s a big loophole,” she explained.

She hopes the regulation that will govern this is truly detailed and closes the app operators’ manipulation loopholes. They want a win-win solution where drivers prosper, but app operators can still operate.

“Don’t let this regulation pressure entrepreneurs until they flee abroad, that’s also dangerous for us. But please, app operators look down, see our hardships on the road,” added Isa.

Ojol Fears Other Fee Loopholes

Even so, the drivers also harbour concerns about the emergence of other ‘loopholes’ in fees deliberately raised by the app operators. Therefore, drivers ask the government not only to focus on the commission cut figure but also to monitor side service fees that are often not transparent.

Isa (49), a Grab driver, admitted to having mixed feelings. On one side, she is grateful that drivers’ aspirations have finally been heard. However, on the other side, she is sceptical that app operators will simply let go of profits.

“To be honest, I believe and don’t believe. I believe in thanking the government for responding after three years, we wanted this 20 per cent to be lowered,” she said when met in the South Jakarta area on Saturday (2/5).

“But after the presidential regulation, there are many issues from observers, from people who understand online transport communication, they think, including us, that this is lowered but another side is raised,” continued Isa.

One loophole, according to her, is the platform service fee outside the app operator cut. She said the service fee charged to consumers lacks clear indicators.

“So the customer still pays, for example Rp 28,000, they will still pay Rp 28,000. And we will still get that amount because the fee is raised,” explained Isa.

Therefore, she asks the government