The crimes committed by a ride-hailing driver against Yun Siska Rohani, 29, and ST, 26, indicates a weakness in driver recruitment. Ride-hailing service providers must take legal responsibility.
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·5 minutes read
Dhanang David for Kompas
A customer uses a ride-hailing application to order transportation services online.
JAKARTA, KOMPAS – Operational supervision and control of taxi networks are not yet maximized, because Transportation Minister Regulation No. 108/2017, on non-route transportation using motorized vehicles for passenger transportation, has not been fully implemented.
The ministerial regulation was, in fact, issued to protect passengers. The regulation was also intended to ensure a level playing field for conventional taxis and online “taxi” services.
For that reason, the robbery and killing of Siska and the attempted murder of ST should be used for the strict implementation of the regulation. The regulation has not been implemented due to the opposition from online taxi drivers over the high costs of obtaining SIM A-General driver’s license for taxi drivers, as well as vehicle roadworthiness (KIR) and driver\'s competency certificates.
A number of parties have called on the government to immediately implement the regulation, despite the drivers’ opposition.
Indonesian Transportation Society (MTI) expert Darmaningtyas said the ride-hailing company that provided the application should be held responsible over the crimes conducted by ride-hailing drivers, because the company recruited its drivers.
"The murder is a very serious case, and it is not the first to be occur in an online taxi. So, what is the driver recruitment system [the companies] use?" said Darmaningtyas after a discussion on Transportation Regulation No. 108/2017 on Thursday (22/3) in Jakarta.
To date, the drivers’ data and the numbers of drivers have been maintained by the ride-hailing service providers. Others may not conduct inspection and supervision. The companies face difficulties in keeping track of ride-hailing vehicles and whether the vehicle used is the same as the one that has been registered.
Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) chief executive Tulus Abadi said that ride-hailing passengers were in a very weak position. A YLKI survey showed that 41 percent of more than 4,500 passengers were dissatisfied with ride-hailing transportation services.
No phone number has been made available for contacting at any time, only ineffective email addresses for use in an emergency. Passengers are also highly vulnerable to harassment because the driver knows the user’s name, address and personal phone number. It is very different from the system applied by regular taxi services, which guarantee passenger confidentiality. "If given a bad rating, the driver can get angry," said Tulus.
Not ready
Another transportation expert at the MTI, Djoko Setijowarno, said the regulation’s implementation was delayed because the central government was not ready.
The government, for example, had yet to prepare for the establishment of the ride-hailing transportation dashboard. Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi said on Thursday that an intense discussion had taken place on the information dashboard between the director general of land transportation and a director general of the Communications and Information Ministry.
Previously, the Communications and Information Minister had submitted a design for the ride-hailing transportation dashboard, but it required further development.
"We want the dashboard to contain the driver’s name, the identity of the vehicle, as well as the account, because there are some accounts that do not match the driver’s name. The information should be real time for monitoring the daily movement and number of all [online] taxis," said land transportation director general Budi Setiyadi.
Hengki Angkasawan, the head of the Information Technology and Communication Center at the Transportation Ministry, explained that to supervise, at the very least, the center needed data on the vehicle’s registration number, make and model, the driver\'s name, the driver\'s license number, ride-hailing ID, the company’s name, real-time rates and information on the route.
"Supervision also requires data on suspended drivers and drivers that registered before the issuance of Transportation Minister Regulation No. 108/2017," said Hengki.
Company readiness
Jakarta Police public relations head Comm. Raden Prabowo Argo Yuwono said that ride-hailing service providers should meet with the police periodically to formulate a safety system for both drivers and passengers. Both are equally vulnerable targets of crime.
In Palembang, South Sumatra, for example, ride-hailing driver Tri Widyantoro disappeared with his car 37 days ago and is still missing. In August 2017, ride-hailing driver Edward Limba was killed by four men who pretended to be passengers. "Do not let this happen again," said Online Drivers Association chairman Sumsel Yoyon.
With regard to criminal cases, PT Go-Jek Indonesia had cooperated with the relevant authorities and deferred to law enforcement to settle them. Problematic drivers would not be allowed to rejoin the company. "We are not hands-off, but all problems are handled by the relevant authorities," said Go-Jek Indonesia corporate affairs chief Nila Marita.
Grab Indonesia marketing director Mediko Azwar said that Grab provided opportunities to both customers and drivers to express their opinions through its Travel Reviews feature. The feature is intended to help Grab improve passenger safety and drivers’ service. "If people don’t like the driver’s service, we kindly ask them to immediately report it to the authorities and the 24-hour Grab consumer service at +622180648777 or to request customer support at support.id@grab.com," said Mediko.
