Annisa Febiola, Jakarta – The Indonesian Transport Workers Union (SPAI) confirmed that the online motorcycle taxi (ojol) drivers who met with Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka last Sunday are not union members. SPAI chairperson Lily Pujiati admitted to knowing two – those wearing yellow Maxim jackets.
"I know the Maxim drivers are legitimate, but I don't recognize the others," said Lily when contacted by Tempo on Tuesday, September 2, 2025.
Despite recognizing the two drivers, Lily stressed that they are not members of SPAI, and past communication between them was limited to transportation worker issues.
"They are not members of SPAI. If they were, they would have had membership cards. And, second, we always coordinate before taking actions, both regional and central," said Lily.
The government, said Lily, often invites ojol drivers affiliated with the ride-share platforms and not through labor unions. Therefore, she questioned whether the drivers meeting VP Gibran truly represented ojol drivers' aspirations.
"If they are trained by the apps, they ought to present the companies' aspirations, not us (workers)," she said.
Lily said she called one of the Maxim drivers she knew to ask what they discussed with Gibran. According to her, they proposed for drivers to be equipped by Social Security (BPJS) for Employees.
"I called him yesterday (to ask) what they discussed. 'Yes, it was related to BPJS.' Maxim requested free BPJS for Employees for ojol drivers, among other things," she said.
VP Gibran gathers representatives of ojol drivers at Palace
Gibran summoned a number of ride-share driver representatives to the Vice Presidential Palace on Sunday, August 31, 2025. The drivers were seen wearing jackets commonly associated with Gojek, Grab, Maxim, and InDrive.
"Alhamdulillah, during the meeting, we were the ones who asked questions and gave input to the Vice President, and Alhamdulillah, we were on the same page regarding the current issues," said one of the drivers wearing a Gojek jacket, as quoted from the Instagram account @setwapres.ri.
The meeting has recently sparked doubts among the public. These doubts range from the condition of the drivers' jackets, which appeared to be new, to the choice of words and tone used by the drivers, as well as the fact that some of the drivers were wearing expensive branded shoes.
Some of the phrases used by the drivers that caught the public's attention were when they mentioned the impact of the demonstrations on their work.
"In recent days, we, the online motorcycle taxi drivers, have been disrupted in our livelihoods. The number of passengers has decreased, and we feel anxious when driving, because the escalation is increasing," said one driver wearing a Gojek jacket in a short video uploaded to Instagram @setwapres.ri.
Gojek and Maxim confirm status of drivers invited at VP Palace
The director of public affairs and communication at PT GoTo Gojek Tokopedia, Ade Mulya, confirmed that one of the drivers present at the meeting with Vice President Gibran last weekend was a partner of Gojek.
"We would like to emphasize that Mohamad Rahman Tohir, familiarly known as Cang Rahman, one of the participants in the dialogue that has been the subject of public scrutiny recently, has indeed been an active Gojek partner since 2015," said Ade, as quoted from a written statement.
Ade maintained that Gojek appreciates each official invitation extended to its driver partners. This allows Gojek to ensure that the drivers who attend these summons are truly active partners who work daily, are involved in the community, and are trusted by their colleagues.
"The aspirations come purely from the partners themselves: from requests for support for the families of colleagues who have passed away, solidarity among fellow drivers, and hopes for everything to remain safe and peaceful," said Ade.
Meanwhile, Maxim Indonesia's Public Relations Specialist Arkam Suprapto confirmed that two of the drivers who met Gibran are officially registered with the online ride-hailing company. During the meeting, two men wearing Maxim driver jackets were present.
"We confirm that the driver partners present at the meeting are officially registered with Maxim and actively serving the public," said Arkam in an official statement on Tuesday, September 2, 2025.
Arkam explained that the meeting with Gibran was an official invite by the Vice Presidential Office, which involved representatives of partners from all ride-hailing platforms. The goal, he said, was to have a direct dialogue about on-the-ground conditions while also gathering personal input from the drivers.
"Their presence as invited guests was the result of an agreement and initiative by the driver partners themselves in their capacity as representatives," said Arkam.
Maxim, Arkam said, routinely educates all its driver partners on the importance of maintaining order and avoiding actions that could result in loss of life. Maxim believes that constructive dialogue is the best way to achieve mutually beneficial solutions.