As anybody who has used a ride-hailing app to summon a motorcycle taxi (ojek) in Jakarta knows, finding an exact place to meet your driver can often be a challenge. Regional ride-hailing giant Grab, which is an official transportation partner for the Asian Games (which start this Saturday), devised a cute solution to help their passengers and drivers around Senayan’s Gelora Bung Karno sports complex find each other — a giant-sized Grab helmet serving as a pick-up point.
https://www.facebook.com/Koalisipejalankaki/photos/a.283878088343551.69056.283870605010966/2024169357647740/?type=3
Eye-catching though it may be, the helmet’s placement on a busy sidewalk near Sudirman’s FX Plaza and right next to a bus stop was questioned by walking rights activists from the group Koalisi Pejalan Kaki (Pedestrian Coalition), who argued that the shelter impeded pedestrian movement and posed a potential traffic risk being placed so close to the bus stop, as numerous ojeks were gathering around the spot as well.
“We conveyed and coordinated, finally they agreed to move it,” said the group’s leader, Alfred Sitorus, last night as quoted by Tempo.
And so, yesterday evening, the giant Grab helmet was removed. Grab, Inasgoc (Indonesia Asian Games 2018 Organizing Committee ) and the Jakarta Transportation Agency are looking for a new place to put it that won’t be as problematic.
https://www.facebook.com/Koalisipejalankaki/photos/a.283878088343551.69056.283870605010966/2027308100667199/?type=3
Jakarta Transportation Agency Deputy head Sigit Wijatmoko said that his agency requested it be placed somewhere it wouldn’t bother pedestrians. No word yet on where that location would be.
Koalisi Pejalan Kaki also criticized another new Grab shelter in Senayan for the way that it impeded the guiding blocks for the visually impaired.
https://www.facebook.com/Koalisipejalankaki/photos/a.283878088343551.69056.283870605010966/2023588074372535/?type=3
That shelter was also removed following the complaints.
https://www.facebook.com/Koalisipejalankaki/posts/2026009097463766
With the rapid rise in popularity of ride-hailing apps, the Jakarta Government has often warned about crowds of “online ojeks” on certain roads creating traffic hazard and had previously announced plans to create more designated pick-up points around popular areas of the capital to lessen the number of motorcycles waiting to meet passengers on the sides of busy roads.
Reader Interactions