A driver reportedly working for Uber in Bali has been hospitalized after allegedly being assaulted in Kuta by a group of taxi drivers.
Ida Kadek Anom, 30, was on the way to pick up a passenger on Monday when he was brutally beaten and his car was vandalized.
“We’re still looking into this case and examining witnesses’ testimonies,” Kuta Police Chief Commissioner I Wayan Sumara confirmed to Detik on Tuesday.
The driver was coming to collect a passenger near Jl. Saraswati III in Kuta, but upon approaching the pickup point, was stopped by a group of ‘conventional’ drivers. Before taking action, the taxi drivers allegedly demanded Ida pay a fine of Rp 500k, about $37.50. He then called his superiors to ask for the money, but as he tried to leave to pick up the money, the drivers instead forced him out of his car and began beating him, according to information gathered by Jawa Pos.
Ida, who Jawa Pos identified as working for Uber, was rushed to Sanglah Hospital in Denpasar after the beating. No further updates about his condition have yet been published.
But the drivers didn’t just beat up Ida. They also took stones and wooden beams and vandalized the Toyota Avanaza he had been driving. A photo of the car published by Detik almost makes it look as if the car had been driven into a wall.
Police say they are investigating the incident and searching for at least half a dozen suspects.
The use of online ride-hailing apps in Bali has been quite controversial since Uber, Grab, and Go-Car have launched operations on the island, with much protest from traditional taxi drivers. While the provincial government has made moves to ban the services, particularly Uber, and signs set up by drivers’ associations “banning” online taxis are all over more touristy areas of the island, the apps are still very much operational in Bali.
Editor’s note: This article has been updated to reflect newly obtained information.
