Indonesia’s Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi confirmed on Thursday (25/01) the government will start implementing its newly-revised regulation for app-based ride-hailing services in February.
The new ministerial regulation for services like Uber and Grab was set in October last year. It has been trialled in some major cities including Jakarta, Bandung (West Java), Semarang (Central Java), Surabaya (East Java) and Medan (North Sumatra).
The new regulation will impose operational area limits for app-based taxis and require their drivers to obtain a public transportation driver’s license. Each driver will also have to join up with a company or a co-operative with at least five members.
Cars used by app-based taxis will have to undergo regular test to keep their certificate of roadworthiness, or KIR, and each car should have a sticker saying it is being used as a ride-hailing cab.
“In England, Uber cars have that kind of sticker, that’s easily seen on the street,” Budi told reporters at Kuningan City Mall in Jakarta on Thursday (25/01).
“The ultimate goal for this regulation is to provide better safety for passengers,” he said.
Many online taxi drivers have been complaining about the new regulation since it was first introduced in October.
According to them, the hardest requirement to meet in the new regulation is re-registering the car as a public transportation vehicle and doing the KIR test regularly.
“The regulation has to be fair,” Budi said. “It’s for everyone’s benefit. But public safety is our top concern. The regular KIR test, for example, is to make sure the cars are in tip-top shape,” Budi said.
Last Monday, hundreds of online taxi drivers marched to the Transportation Ministry headquarters in Jakarta.
The drivers promised a bigger street protest next Monday, Jan. 9, in front of the presidential palace.
The government has also said it will impose tiered sanctions for drivers who disobey the rules, from suspending their license, fines of up to Rp 500,000 ($37) to a two-month jail sentence.