5,000 Officers to Be Deployed as Taxi Drivers Scale Up Protest

Authorities in Jakarta are planning to deploy 5,000 security officers on Tuesday (22/03) ahead of a massive demonstration by public transport and taxi drivers who want to protest the presence of app-based transportation services, police said on Monday.

Land Transportation Drivers Association (PPAD) spokesman Daelami said more than 10,000 drivers are expected at Tuesday's rally, five times the number of people who staged a crippling protest last week.

Protesters are scheduled to start the rally at 9 a.m. at the House of Representatives complex on Jalan Gatot Subroto in South Jakarta before heading to the Communications Ministry office on Jalan Merdeka Barat in Central Jakarta.

Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Muhammad Iqbal said officers would be deployed to the two locations while security around the State Palace and City Hall, in the same area as the Communications Ministry's office, would also be increased.

Police are also seeking assistance from the military and the Jakarta Transportation Agency to manage the traffic.

“Traffic will be redirected if the need for it arises,” Iqbal said.

The protest comes after a government decision last week to allow the app-based transportation companies to operate as a cooperative.

The Indonesian Car Rental Cooperative (PPRI) was officially recognized by the Ministry for Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises last Wednesday, following talks between the company, officials from the newly established cooperative and SMEs Minister Anak Agung Gede Puspayoga.

GrabCar, along with similar ride-sharing application Uber, has been met with great criticism from taxi and public transportation operators since they were first introduced. With their incomes declining, the traditional operators say the newcomers should be banned for violating the 2009 Road Traffic Law, under which they are not recognized as a form of public transportation.

The argument has won over some key officials, most notably Transportation Minister Ignasius Jonan, who issued a letter in November banning all app-based ride-hailing services, including motorcycle taxi apps Go-Jek and GrabBike.

The move was overruled by President Joko Widodo less than 24 hours after the letter was issued.