Custody Of Application Fees Can Be Affected On The Ojol Ecosystem

Illustration (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - The reduction in the rental fee for online motorcycle taxi applications (ojol) is considered not only to have an impact on the applicator company, but also driver partners and the overall ojol ecosystem.

This is because some components of the application rental fee are also returned to driver-partners in the form of incentives outside of ojol tariffs.

"Applicators should be given the freedom to determine how much the application costs. Before making a decision, the government should consider carefully whether the determination of the rental fee for the application will have an impact on the financial health of the applicator," said University economist Airlangga Rumayya Batubara, quoted from Antara, Wednesday, September 28.

Not only applicators, continued Rumayya, in the long term cutting the cost of renting an application will also have an impact on reducing driver-partner incentives.

"Incentives for driver-partners are reduced, then there is no marketing program for consumers, later it will harm the ecosystem. The driver's partner income is not only from tariffs, but also from components such as incentives. The cost of marketing is used to increase demand. Well, all of that costs for application management, "explained Rumayya.

Therefore, when the application rental fee is cut, the app must take another way to cover the cost of managing the application.

In addition, the applicator also has the potential to increase the ojol tariff beyond the tariff set by the Ministry of Transportation.

Actually, the government can provide fuel oil subsidies (BBM) for ojol driver partners without having to cut the cost of renting an application. So the applicator is not harmed, while the driver partner also still gets welfare," said Rumayya, who is also a researcher at the Research Institute of Socio-Economimal Development (RISED).

Adjustment of application rental costs, continued Rumayya, in the future is also feared to have an impact on micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). This is because many MSME actors sell their wares with ojol applications.

Usually consumers buy because there are many marketing initiatives. Well, if the marketing costs are reduced due to cost cuts for application management, of course, they will also feel the impact," he explained.

The increase in ojol tariffs has been in effect since September 11, 2022. The new ojol tariff is contained in the Decree of the Minister of Transportation Number 667 of 2022 concerning Guidelines for Calculation of the Cost of Services for the Use of Motorcycles which is used for the Interest of the Community Implemented with Applications.

Dalam keputusan tersebut, juga ditetapkan biaya sewa penggunaan aplikasi ditetapkan paling tinggi 15 persen dari sebelumnya 20 persen.