Annisa Febiola, Jakarta – The research group, Institute for Demographic and Affluence Studies (IDEAS), has estimated that the nationwide strike by online motorcycle taxi drivers or online ojek on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, led to a loss of up to Rp188 billion in daily transactions. This number was calculated based on a possible 50 percent drop in activities within the online transportation sector, due to the simultaneous strike in many major cities.
Muhammad Anwar, an IDEAS researcher, estimated the daily transaction value in the online transportation sector to be around Rp375.89 billion. "If activity drops by half, it means almost Rp188 billion will not circulate in one day, and this doesn't even account for the cascading effects on other sectors," Anwar said in a written statement on Wednesday, May 21, 2025.
He explained that the strike's impact was immediately felt across various sectors. For instance, micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and culinary vendors who rely on delivery services like GoFood and GrabFood experienced a significant decrease in orders. "For small 'warungs' (food stalls), daily cash flow is their lifeline. If disrupted, the continuity of their business is threatened," Anwar noted.
In addition, the general public, especially daily commuters and students in major cities such as Jakarta, Surabaya, and Medan, faced mobility difficulties. Anwar highlighted that public transportation is not yet fully integrated, making online motorcycle taxis the backbone of urban mobility.
Small-scale logistics sectors, such as package and document delivery through GoSend and GrabExpress, were also disrupted, as many micro-businesses and individuals depend on these services.
Anwar added that yesterday's strike also created a serious reputational risk for digital platform companies. He asserted that these companies' business sustainability depends on a wide network of drivers, making the strike's impact significant.
"But when partners feel unappreciated, unprotected, and are not provided with clarity about income algorithms, the sustainability of the business model itself is at risk," he said.
Throughout 2024, he said, the total Gross Transaction Value (GTV) from Gojek services, including GoRide, GoFood, and GoSend, reached Rp63.04 trillion. Meanwhile, Grab's global GTV across six Southeast Asian countries amounted to US$18.4 billion, or approximately Rp293 trillion (assuming an exchange rate of Rp 16,000 per US dollar).
"If it is assumed that Indonesia's market contribution to Grab's total global GTV is around 20 percent, then the estimated GTV of Grab in Indonesia in 2024 is about Rp58.75 trillion," Anwar calculated.
Aside from these major players, other online transportation applications such as Maxim, inDrive, Anterin, Nujek, and others also operate. Assuming their collective contribution is around 10 percent of the total market, Anwar estimated their collective GTV to be around Rp13.53 trillion. Based on this data, Anwar mentioned that the estimated GTV of the online transportation industry in Indonesia in 2024 reached Rp135.32 trillion, or about Rp375.89 billion per day.
According to him, this strike by online ojek drivers reflects the power disparity between large digital platform companies and their driver partners. In reality, driver partners work as regular employees but lack the legal protection afforded to formal workers.
Without fair and supportive regulations, Anwar warned, digitalization will only perpetuate the exploitation seen in the old economy but with a new facade. "The country must not remain silent while millions of drivers are left without certainty and protection," he urged.
– Alif Ilham Fajriadi contributed to this article.