Bandung –
Online motorcycle taxi (ojol) drivers in Greater Bandung have confirmed they will not take to the streets to join an action reportedly planned by a group of people in Bandung City today, Monday (1/9/2025).
“No, we online drivers are not planning to carry out or join any demonstrations,” said a representative of the Greater Bandung Drivers Association (HDBR) when confirmed.
“We from the ojol driver community have no plans to participate in that action,” they added.
However, the representative emphasized that HDBR fully supports actions aimed at conveying aspirations. They reminded that any action should be conducted in an orderly manner and not violate regulations.
“So essentially, we support every demonstration as long as it is for the common good, but for now, those who wish to proceed may do so, but we request that it remains orderly, not anarchic, and so on,” they stated.
They regretted last weekend’s action, which led to disturbances breaking out in Bandung City and several other areas. According to them, this undermined the primary goal of conveying aspirations.
“It is very unfortunate and regrettable. We strongly condemn anarchic actions and the like because that goes beyond our goal of voicing concerns to the government,” the representative explained.
They further reminded that in the midst of this ‘tense’ situation, all parties must work together to maintain order. According to the representative, certain elements are exploiting mass actions to carry out provocations.
“If it is done in an orderly manner, following the rules, then we fully support it. However, we know that the current situation in our country is quite heated, and there are certainly irresponsible parties and individuals who want to see our nation divided,” they asserted.
For this reason, ojol drivers in Greater Bandung have currently agreed not to engage in actions to convey their aspirations for the time being. They also support the authorities in taking firm action against the perpetrators of the riots.
“That is correct (concerned about being exploited). That is why we agree with the authorities’ firm actions against crowds who act outside the rules; if there is looting, anarchy, or destruction, we agree with such measures,” the representative concluded.