TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A number of online motorcycle taxi (ojek) drivers casually responded to the canceled motorcycle ban that was first introduced by former Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama or Ahok.

They reasoned that the revocation of the motorcycle ban by the Supreme Court (MA) would not significantly affect the performance of their work.

A Go-Jek driver Bakrie (58) said that the motorcycle ban on Thamrin Street did not hamper him when it was in effect. He said that revoking the ban will not significantly affect his income.

Read: Court Revokes Ahok`s Motorcycle Ban, BPTJ to Hold Discussion

“The only difference was that whether we had to take the longer route or not,” he said.

Another Go-Jek driver Junaedi (52) agreed with Bakrie and said that people working in the MH Thamrin area are the only people that will feel the benefits of the revoked motorcycle ban, not the online-based transportations. “I would be worried if a ban on online ojek exists,” said Junaedi, that was followed by a chuckle.

The Supreme Court (MA) revoked the Governor’s Regulation No. 195/2014 that bans motorcycles from entering Jalan MH Thamrin on November 21, 2017. The court reasons that several points contained in the regulation are against higher existing regulations.

MA also said that the motorcycle ban ratified by Ahok was not legally binding.

M. Rosseno Aji