Pekanbaru Mayor Holds Sahur On The Road with 2,000 Ride-Hailing Drivers
Pekanbaru Mayor Agung Nugroho organised a Sahur On The Road event with more than 2,000 ride-hailing drivers. The activity, held in the early hours of Sunday in the Purna MTQ Pekanbaru area, is considered the first of its kind conducted by a regional head in Indonesia.
The event went beyond a simple shared meal. The Mayor engaged directly with drivers, gathered their concerns, and led a convoy to the Grand Mosque An-Nur of Riau Province for communal dawn prayers. Notably, non-Muslim drivers also participated in a show of solidarity and inter-faith unity.
The event originated from a ride-hailing driver’s comment on social media requesting the Mayor arrange a meeting and dialogue. This swift response materialised into a large gathering attended by thousands of drivers from various platforms.
Driver representatives expressed appreciation for Pekanbaru’s attention, particularly regarding road infrastructure improvements that directly benefit the comfort and efficiency of ride-hailing work.
During the event, Pekanbaru City Government and Baznas distributed Rp 200,000 in holiday bonuses to Muslim drivers present. As recognition of inter-faith unity, the Mayor personally distributed equivalent assistance to non-Muslim drivers, ensuring all participants received equal attention regardless of religious background.
Additionally, five new motorcycles were distributed to lucky drivers, helmets and saplings were presented by Pekanbaru Police, and one motorcycle was raffled by BRK Syariah. The city government also committed to establishing 1,000 free WiFi hotspots across various city areas, including driver base camps.
The Mayor emphasised that Pekanbaru belongs not only to office workers but also to these ‘street workers’ who drive the city’s economic engine daily. “Pekanbaru is ours together. This city stands because of the hard work of all citizens, including ride-hailing drivers who work day and night serving the community,” he said.
Nationally, app-based workers form an important part of Indonesia’s digital economy ecosystem. Pekanbaru’s approach is regarded as a model of responsive, inclusive regional leadership that directly engages with communities.
Amidst Indonesia’s social and economic dynamics, leadership that embraces, listens, and directly engages with people has become essential. What Pekanbaru demonstrates shows that city development is not merely about physical infrastructure and budgets, but also about empathy, commitment to the people, and unity in diversity.
This initiative is hoped to inspire other regions in Indonesia to strengthen collaboration between government and informal sector workers whilst affirming that city progress can only be achieved when all segments of society move together.