Disadvantaged ojol drivers and consumers, legal practitioners Musthafa unloaded serious violations

KABARJAWA – Musthafa’s Legal Practitioner, SH strongly condemned the practice of tariff manipulation by an online motorcycle taxi applicator (Ojol).

Musthafa asserted that the non -transparent dynamic tariff policy has oppressed drivers and consumers systematically.

Unscrupulous Tariff Manipulation Applicator

Musthafa revealed an astonishing facts. He stated that the ride-hailing applicator uses an algorithmic system to maximize company profits. However, the system actually impoverishes drivers and deceives consumers simultaneously.

The first case is the dynamic tariff that surge unnaturally. When it rains or busy hours, the applicator raises the tariff up to 3-5 times. Consumers pay dearly in the hope that the driver is prosperous.

However, the driver actually only accepts a slight increase in tariffs. Musthafa emphasized that the applicator took the highest profit, while the driver worked harder with minimal pay.

Musthafa highlighted the commission pieces that were not very transparent. The driver reported that the applicator took 25-30 percent of their income. However, the applicator never provides clear calculation details.

Musthafa stressed that the practice violated the principle of contract justice in Article 1338 of the Civil Code. The driver works day and night, but the applicator continues to pile up profits without mercy.

Musthafa also revealed the deceptive promo strategy applied by the applicator. The applicator offers cheap promo rates to consumers to increase transactions. However, the applicator actually charged the discount on the driver through incentive slaughtering.

Consumers enjoy low tariffs, the applicator continues to achieve large profits, while the driver bears the promotional burden. Musthafa stressed that this scheme was exploitative and violated the law of justice.

Violation of the rule of law

Musthafa stated that the tariff manipulation violated various legal rules. UU no. 8/1999 concerning Consumer Protection in which applicators are required to provide tariff information clearly and not misleading. However, dynamic tariff manipulation actually deceives consumers every day.

UU no. 6/2023 concerning the Protection of Platform Workers where the driver is entitled to receive a reasonable income with the transparency of the commission calculation. Practice of unilateral pieces without explanation violates the law.

Civil Code Articles 1320 and 1338 Agreements must be made in good faith and may not harm one party.

The applicator crashed into this legal principle with a policy that burdens the driver. The challenge of law enforcement in the midst of the applicator’s power

Musthafa stressed that law enforcement faces severe challenges. The imbalance of the strength in which the applicator controls the algorithm, transaction data, as well as communication paths, so that the driver and consumers have difficulty proving fraud.

Then the regulation is weak in which the implementation of the platform worker protection law is still weak. Musthafa assesses that the government has not seriously oversees exploitative tariff practices.

“Legal awareness is minimal in which drivers and consumers do not know how to report violations. They receive injustice without resistance,” he said.

Musthafa provides strict recommendations to complete the practice of manipulation tariffs that oppress drivers and consumers. Musthafa asked the Ministry of Communication and Information, and OJK to immediately check the tariff algorithm and applicator commission.

Easy complaint mechanisms and he urged the formation of special helpdesk for drivers and consumers on the government’s official platform to report tariff fraud.

“The need for socialization of legal rights through the Association of Drivers and Consumer Communities throughout Indonesia,” he said. (EF Linangkung)