The Joys and Sorrows of Ride-Hailing Drivers During Eid Holiday: Clear Roads, Stagnant Orders
The atmosphere of the Eid holiday brings two contrasting sides for online motorcycle taxi (ojol) drivers in Jakarta. On one hand, the roads feel much emptier than usual, but the quiet activity of residents directly impacts the decrease in the number of orders.
An ojol driver who has been working for nearly a decade since 2015 truly feels this change. He states that the number of passenger orders has dropped drastically since the Eid holiday began.
“There are no people (passengers) anymore, I haven’t got any, for two days,” said Rudi when met in the Rawa Belong area, West Jakarta, on Friday (20/3/2026).
Usually, on weekdays, Rudi can complete 10 to 15 trips in a day. From that, his income can reach Rp200,000 to Rp250,000 per day.
“On weekdays, it’s decent, 10, 12, 15 trips. Usually, I can get 250, 200 (in one day),” he said.
However, at present, Rudi is trying to switch to services for transporting groceries. He does this to stay afloat and earn an income.
“Now, I’m just going with the times, doing Goshop. People shop, we shop along. If I just rely on transporting passengers, I won’t get any money,” he explained.
Even so, the income obtained is still much reduced. In a day, Rudi can only bring home around Rp100,000.
“This is just Rp100,000,” said Rudi.
Yudi Prasetyo, another ojol driver, experiences something similar. Rudi chose not to go home to the village this year and stayed seeking a livelihood in Jakarta. However, that decision does not immediately stabilise his income.
“On normal days, I can get Rp250,000 to Rp300,000. Now, it’s just like this,” said Yudi.
Until this afternoon, Yudi admitted to having pocketed only Rp50,000 after starting work in the afternoon.
“This, I got Rp50,000. On normal days when driving, I can get Rp250 to Rp300,” he added.
According to him, the reduction in orders occurs because most Jakarta residents are going home to their hometowns. Meanwhile, those who stay in the capital tend to spend time with family without much travelling.
“Those who don’t go home are mostly with family, casual outings, not ordering ojol too often,” said Yudi.
Nevertheless, Yudi acknowledges that traffic conditions during the Eid holiday are far more friendly. Roads that are usually congested now feel smoother and more comfortable to navigate.
“(The roads are indeed) clear, no traffic jams,” he added.
Even so, Yudi hopes this situation does not last long. They are optimistic that activity will increase again after the holiday period ends.
“Hopefully next week it’s back to normal, lots more, people back to work,” Yudi hoped.