REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Operators of online transportation systems, such as Gojek and Grab, have become increasingly monopolistic, according to a social economic association. General Chairman of the Strategic Socio-Economic Cadre Association (AKSES) Suroto remarked that online transportation operators have begun to monopolize, for instance, in deciding the tariff.
He noted that operators appear to be arbitrarily in making policies against their drivers, especially in deciding the tariffs. They have also tried to avoid being called a transportation business.
"However, in fact, they are the operators of an online transportation business," he pointed out in Jakarta on Monday.
In response to this, the Ministry of Transportation has recently raised a discourse on the establishment of a government-owned online-based transportation system. The idea came up following protests lodged by online transportation drivers, who have, so far, felt they are not benefited by the owners of the app-base online transportation.
"This idea needs to be supported, but it should not be in the form of a full-government ownership model. The government should be the owner of the capital, but it should remain open in the sense that drivers and consumers could be part of the ownership," Suroto explained.
The government, in this case, participates in ownership to safeguard the public interest, so that no party is exploited, such as in the form of arbitrary tariff-fixing on the driver. The driver and consumer will also be represented by a system of fair representation for all parties.
"The legal entity model can be a Public Cooperatives wherein there are the government, consumers and drivers. This will be a perfect Public Service Obligation (PSO) business management pattern, as it is owned by a multi-stakeholder party," he added.
Earlier, Supreme Court has ruled that online taxi does not have legal umbrella. The ruling was based on a judicial review on Transportation Minister' Regulation (PM) Number 108 Year 2017 on non-route public transportation services which restated a norm that has been cancelled by Supreme Court decision on June 20, 2017, namely PM Number 26 Year 2017.
Therefore, Transportation Minister is required to revoked the rule. "For temporarily, online taxi does not have legal umbrella, but we have prepare new rule," Director General of Land Transportation of the Ministry of Transportation, Budi Setiyadi said to Republika.co.id, on Thursday (Sept 13).
Meanwhile, Chairman of Association of Online Drivers (ADO) Christiansen FW expressed a hope to the government. He wished the government would built its own online transportation application.
"We believe that if the government build it, then it will be pro to the people," he said on Monday (Sept 17).
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