TEMPO.CO, Surabaya - Thousands of online motorcycle taxi drivers, or ojol, under the banner of Front Tolak Aplikator Nakal (Frontal) in East Java, held a large-scale protest in Surabaya on Tuesday, May 20, 2025.
The protesters put forward five main demands: lowering the app commission to 10%, increasing passenger fare rates, issuing regulations for food and goods delivery, clarifying the net earnings partners receive, and urging the government to pass an Online Transportation Law.
The demonstration began at Bundaran Waru, on the border of Sidoarjo and Surabaya, with participants either walking or riding motorcycles and cars toward the city center.
They made their first stop at the East Java Communication and Information Office, where they burned tires, before continuing to the East Java Regional Police headquarters and the local offices of Gojek and Grab. After delivering speeches at each location, the crowd gathered in front of the East Java Governor’s Office on Pahlawan Street as the main protest site.
Frontal East Java spokesperson Samuel Grandy Kalengkongan said around 6,500 drivers from across the region took part. A similar action was also held in Banyuwangi.
Samuel emphasized that the group's five demands were final.
"They cannot be negotiated," he said during an interview on Ahmad Yani Street.
He warned that if their demands are ignored, further protests involving even more participants will be staged for two to three consecutive days. He also called on drivers who did not join the protest to show support by turning off their ride-hailing apps.
"Respect us who are demonstrating, because this struggle is for all online drivers in East Java," he said.
Samuel apologized to the public (especially loyal ojol customers) for the disruption caused by drivers disabling their apps. He expressed hope that both the app providers and the government would respond positively so drivers could return to work under better conditions.
One Grab driver, 50-year-old Umi Muthia from Tulungagung, said she turned off her app out of respect for the protest in Surabaya, though she continued working under contract for pre-arranged services.
"I still provide pick-up and drop-off services, as there are six orders for today. For the application services, I turned them off temporarily to respect my friends who are demonstrating. Hopefully, a solution will be reached soon," she said.
Earlier that morning, Umi received an official message from the app provider listing five directives: not to be provoked, to follow existing regulations, to seek alternative routes to avoid disruption, to maintain normal operations for customers, and to avoid using Grab-branded gear for safety reasons.
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