Jakarta, Jan 29 (Antara) - The presence of ride-hailing taxi services in the country has been welcomed by users as they relatively offer convenient and cheap services.
However, their presence is opposed by conventional taxi operators on ground of fairness regarding obligations to follow government regulations in the public transportation sector.
The government has seen protests staged by both conventional and online taxi drivers since the inception of the app-based taxi services.
The transportation ministry has done its best to formulate regulations on the app-based taxi services; yet, it is not accepted by online taxis. Even, online services happen to challenge a ministerial regulation and had won it in the Supreme Court.
In order to revise its regulation, the ministry had organized public consultations in a number of regions to find a solution to the disputed ride-hailing app regulation, following the annulment of 14 articles of Transportation Ministry Regulation No. 26/2017 on the operation of non-route public transportation by the Supreme Court in August.
The latest ruling is the Transportation Ministerial Decree No. 108/2017 (PM No.108/2017) on Public Transportation Service Without Fixed Routes.
The government is determined to implement the regulation next February. Yet, drivers of online taxi services still staged protest on Monday (Jan 29).
They protest was against certain obligations, as contained in the regulation, such as the point on vehicle worthiness test (KIR), use of type A Public Driving License (SIM A Umum), and use of stickers.
Actually, all stakeholders should be responsible for the implementation of the transportation regulation. The Ministry of Transportation should not share the burden on the implementation of the online taxi regulation alone.
Other stakeholders must jointly support the Ministerial Regulation Number 108 Year 2018, so that its implementation would run smoothly, transportation observer Soegijapranata Djoko Setijowarno of the University of Soegijapranata noted on Monday.
Setijowarno, in a written statement, stated that the Transportation Ministry was responsible for ensuring safety and security, while the police was responsible for the issuance of the driving license. Matters on the technology applications are in the hands of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (Kemkominfo).
"The Transportation Ministry is not only involved in the operation of the taxi network but also has the responsibility to maintain safety, security, and convenience of passengers through regulations," Setijowarno explained.
Matters relating to the driving license and the technology applications are in the hands of the police and the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (Kominfo), respectively.
The Ministry of Manpower is responsible for handling the partnership relationship between the operators and the drivers.
Online taxi operators who want to have legal incorporation basis in the form of cooperatives could be assisted by the Ministry of Cooperatives and Small-Scale Business. The payment system and tax affairs will be regulated by the Ministry of Finance.
"Therefore, this actually involves a lot of parties," Setijowarno explained.
Another transportation observer, Darmaningtyas, elaborated that PM 108/2017, which will take effect next February, is part of the government's far-reaching repercussion efforts to protect drivers, resolve tax issues, and regulate operators.
IndoTelko Forum founder, Doni Ismanto Darwin, stated that in principle, digitalization will transform businesses into transparent, accountable, and efficient processes. Thus, online transportation is more convenient, timely, and provides certainty.
"Philosophically, digitalization enhances competitiveness. It does not mean that core business is lost. It should not be considered that digitalization does not have a rule in business. In the case of ride-hailing taxi service in Indonesia, there are those who want to perceive that regulating digitalization is against the current era," he elaborated.
He suggested that for a short term, the government should issue a presidential decree on ride-hailing, because it involves inter-ministerial sectors. In the meantime, the traffic law should also be revised.
"The issue is that if they want to be arranged, it will involve many ministries, while they have different coordinating ministers. President Joko Widodo must step in. Otherwise, it will be difficult and will sacrifice those in the field," he pointed out.
Hundreds of online taxi drivers held a rally in front of the Ministry of Transportation demanding a revocation of Transportation Ministerial Regulation No. 108 of 2017. Chairman of the National Alliance of Online Taxi Drivers (Aliando) Babe Bowie stated on the sidelines of the rally in Jakarta on Monday that the requirements outlined in PM 108/2017 were viewed as being burdensome.
"The regulation requires (an online taxi driver to have cleared) a KIR (vehicle worthiness test), (drivers must have obtained) type A Public Driving License , and stickers, which are all considered burdensome," Bowie explained.
Bowie said the government had not accommodated Aliando's earlier proposal to revise PM 108/2017. "On Nov 25, we had held a rally, and later, we sought a revision, but they did not accommodate (our request). We are now rejecting PM 108/2017, as it only caters to the interests of one side," he pointed out.
Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi has expressed concern on witnessing the rising dissent among several parties to the new regulation on online taxi services. "I am concerned that there are still many people who are not satisfied," he noted in Jakarta on Monday.
According to Sumadi, the government had issued PM 108/2017 to ensure equality and fair treatment for online and conventional taxi services. "It is impossible to comply with all requests of one side. This means both should equally take and give. We cannot satisfy both," he emphasized.
Sumadi noted that the government will go ahead with the imposition of PM 108/2017 from February 1, 2018, without making any compromise. Nevertheless, he has offered room for holding discussions on the mechanism of its application.***1*** (A014/INE)EDITED BY INE/H-YH
(T.A014/A/BESSR/A/Yosep) 29-01-2018 22:20 |
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