Transport Minister Seeks Balance in Ride-Hailing Sector Amid Fee Dispute and Driver Demands
Main Takeaways
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JAKARTA, Investortrust.id — Indonesia’s Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi has pledged to uphold balance and sustainability within the country’s ride-hailing ecosystem, as tensions escalate between app companies and drivers over commission fees and employment status.
“This is not just an ordinary business,” Dudy said on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. “There is a large ecosystem here—from drivers and platform companies to the users themselves. The government is committed to maintaining its sustainability and balance.”
His remarks come a day before a planned protest involving up to 25,000 online motorcycle taxi (ojek online or "ojol") drivers. The protest centers around long-standing grievances, including app commissions that drivers claim exceed the regulated 20% ceiling and calls to reduce them to a maximum of 10%.
Dialogue with Platforms
The minister recently convened a meeting with major ride-hailing platforms—including PT GoTo Gojek Tokopedia Tbk, Grab Indonesia, inDrive Indonesia, and Maxim Indonesia—to address the growing discontent. The talks covered key issues raised by the public and drivers, such as commission fees and the debated proposal to classify partner drivers as permanent employees.
Dudy reaffirmed that based on the Ministerial Decree KP 1001/2022, the maximum commission rate charged by platforms is capped at 20%. “We have conveyed this to the companies, and any deviation must be reviewed,” he stated.
However, drivers claim that actual deductions often exceed the regulatory limit once additional charges are included, prompting calls for a lower cap. Dudy promised that his ministry would evaluate the current commission structure in collaboration with relevant stakeholders to determine its impact on the broader ride-hailing ecosystem.
Flexibility vs Formal Employment
On the matter of employment classification, the platforms unanimously rejected the idea of converting drivers into full-time employees. According to the minister, the companies aim to preserve the flexibility that has made ride-hailing attractive to both drivers and consumers.
“It's important to ensure fair competition,” Dudy emphasized. “The regulation must not only consider the business operators but also protect customers and driver-partners.”
Regulatory Outlook
The government is open to introducing new rules if needed, but any regulatory overhaul will weigh the interests of all parties involved, including micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and logistics providers that also depend on online transportation networks.
“We are listening,” said Dudy. “It would be wise to consider the complexity of the ecosystem before deciding on new policies.”