TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko Widodo invited a number of public transport drivers for a lunch banquet in the Presidential Palace on Tuesday September 1. The banquet then became an impromptu session of sharing opinion, as drivers were speaking heart-to-heart with the president.
Sanuri, an ojek (taxi bike) driver, spoke to the president, that the booming trend of online ojek (Go-Jek) has cost him some fortune. “We could earn Rp100,000 per day. Now we only earn Rp30,000,” he said. He also complained about the ban for motorbikes in Sudirman to Muhammad Husni Thamrin, Central Jakarta.
Speaking in response to Sanuri, Suryadi, Go-Jek driver, asked fellow drivers to join them in the new trend. He said that Go-Jek can help them expand network.
President Jokowi then advised them to end the feud, as competition is inevitable. "Don’t fight. Life is open to competition," said the president.
The banquet was held following Jokowi’s blusukan campaign the last couple of days. Upon meeting a driver, the president as asked if he can invite them to the presidential palace – which he did with swag.
ANANDA TERESIA