Surya Teknologi Perkasa, a subsidiary of digital self-service kiosk operator M Cash Integrasi, has introduced an online-based bicycle-sharing service dubbed Gowes, aimed at providing an emission-free transportation alternative to help Jakarta combat air pollution and traffic congestion.
Bicycle sharing is still relatively new business in the capital, where motorcycle ride-hailing services such as Go-Jek Indonesia and Grab have been dominating over the past few years.
Jakarta Deputy Governor Sandiaga Uno, who attended the inauguration event at the National Monument (Monas) in Central Jakarta on Friday (27/07), said there will be a three-month trial of the bicycle-sharing service, during which time people will be allowed to ride for free in the Monas area. This will be done to test demand for the new service.
The trial will take place in collaboration with the Jakarta provincial government and the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy.
“We are pleased with the trial. We expect support from the government and all parties to make bicycles Jakarta residents’ preferred option for short-term transportation as it reduces air and noise pollution, while also being affordable and safe for all ages,” Surya Teknologi Perkasa president director Iwan Suryaputra said in a statement.
He said the company will continue to support the government’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions and mitigate traffic congestion in the capital through the bike-sharing system.
Jakarta is consistently among the top-10 most polluted cities in the world, according to data provided by air quality monitoring app AirVisual.
A study by US-based research company Inrix has shown that Jakarta is the 17th most congested city in the world after Bangkok and Russia’s Kansk, noting that its residents spend on average 63 hours in congestion per year.
Gowes, which means “to paddle,” in Indonesian, is already available in Bintaro, Banten and several locations in Bali. Equipped with tracking devices, users do not need to return the bicycles to their original location after use. Instead, they can park it anywhere with Gowes’s operational area.
The Gowes smartphone application also offers other digital products and services, such as internet data packages, phone credit and more, similar to those offered by Go-Jek. The services are also in line with the parent company M Cash’s core business.
M Cash was the second digital startup to list on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX). It raised Rp 300 billion ($21 million) in October last year from the sale of 25 percent of its enlarged capital. Since then, the company has acquired mobile wallet service provider Matchmove Indonesia and cloud-based digital advertising firm Digital Marketing Indonesia.
M Cash reported net income of Rp 45 billion in the first half of this year, compared with Rp 3.8 billion in the corresponding period last year.