Jakarta Ride-Hailing Drivers Protest Over App Commissions

Thousands of ride-hailing drivers, including motorbike taxi operators and couriers, staged a mass protest today, July 21, 2025, in Jakarta, rallying outside the Presidential Palace as part of a coordinated work stoppage dubbed "Aksi 217."

The protest highlights growing dissatisfaction among drivers with government policy and app-based platform practices. Led by Raden Igun Wicaksono, chairman of Garda Indonesia, the demonstration reportedly includes around 50,000 drivers from multiple digital transportation platforms. Protesters are urging President Prabowo Subianto and the Ministry of Transportation to address their five formal demands.

Key Highlights

• 50,000 drivers protest in Jakarta demanding fairer ride-hailing policies
• Drivers seek a 90:10 revenue split and official delivery service rates
• Protesters call for regulation, audits, and removal of unfair app features

A major grievance is the rise in platform commission rates to 15 percent, which drivers argue severely reduces their take-home pay. The drivers' five demands include: New legal regulation specifically for online transportation. A 90:10 revenue split favoring drivers. Setting official rates for delivery services. Audits of app operators for transparency. Elimination of exploitative features such as low base fares and paid memberships.

Drivers contend that app operators have disproportionate influence over government policy and that their concerns are routinely overlooked. The protest underscores the broader tension between platform labor and regulatory frameworks in Indonesia’s rapidly evolving gig economy.

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This protest could prompt policy shifts if the government engages with stakeholders to ensure sustainable and fair working conditions in Indonesia’s digital transportation sector.