Foreigners Hand Out Meals to Ojol Drivers in Indonesia
Reporter
September 1, 2025 | 10:29 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Many foreign nationals have shown support for Indonesian online motorcycle taxi (ojol) drivers amidst the recent week-long protests. This phenomenon was captured in a post by user X @sighyam on Saturday, August 30, 2025.
Initially, the account owner informed that users of the ojol service could make deliveries to other Southeast Asian countries. One option to consider is changing the destination country option.
After that, ordering proceeded as usual. Users who wanted to share food with the ojol drivers could choose a delivery location far from the protest area.
"Choose food and drinks that are easy to share. Before ordering, instruct the ojol driver, 'Please share the food with the drivers on the road,'" wrote the account owner X @sighyam.
Later, the post received public attention. As of Monday, September 1, 2025, it had been viewed by 22 million other users. Thousands of people also reacted to the post.
In the comments section of the post, several foreign nationals were seen showing support for the motorcycle taxi drivers by ordering food. For instance, user X @mes***ko did the same.
The account owner shared a screenshot of their order history from a restaurant in Bandung, West Java. They contacted the ojol driver who picked up their order, asking that the food and drinks they ordered be distributed to the drivers on the road.
"Sir, you don't need to deliver it to me. Please take the order, share it with your friends," they wrote in Malay.
Many Indonesian citizens appreciate the support from the international community. Many Indonesians are also inspired and have done similar things to support the ojol drivers who are struggling amidst the chaos of the protests.
For example, user X @emr***ed posted something similar. They also shared a screenshot of their conversation with the online motorcycle taxi driver.
"Good evening, Sir. The food doesn't need to be delivered. Please share it with your family or friends. Stay healthy and safe on the road. Wishing you all the best," wrote the account owner.
Large-scale protests have been occurring in Jakarta since August 25, 2025. The masses initially stormed the House of Representatives (DPR) building due to the large monthly housing allowance for members, amounting to Rp50 million. The protests escalated due to the incident of an ojol driver being run over by a Police Mobile Brigade (Brimob) vehicle during the dispersal of the masses on Thursday, August 28, 2025.
The protests then spread to various regions such as Makassar, Bandung, and Surabaya. In Jakarta, the masses protested in front of the Jakarta Metropolitan Police and the Brimob Headquarters in Kwitang. The protest resulted in riots as the masses burned down public facilities such as Transjakarta bus shelters. The masses even burned down the Makassar Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) building, resulting in four deaths.
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