SUMMARY
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JAKARTA, Indonesia – Want to try a new motorcycle taxi service in Jakarta? A new motorcycle taxi app service – UberMotor, entered an already highly competitive motorbike-cab market in Indonesia on Tuesday, April 12.
Uber launched a motorbike taxi service – UberMotor, to compete with Grab and Go-Jek, which is widely used by Indonesian commuters.
The drivers of UberMotor wear a black jacket representing their company, as well as a helmet with the Uber logo on it – similar to Grab or Go-Jek drivers.
I tried to hail UberMotor at around 9 am in Kuningan City in South Jakarta on April 13, a day after it launched, but I couldn’t find any drivers through the app at that time. The app showed there were no motors available.
Cheaper
Later that evening, I successfully ordered an UberMotor near National Monument from Monas to my home. The trip was a 5-kilometer ride, and surprisingly cost me only “Rp 3.500” or $0.26.
The fare stunned me. Can you buy anything with that price? It was especially a shocker compared to GrabBike’s minimum fare: Rp 10.000 ($0.76).
Acording to Uber’s official website, the base fare is Rp.1.000 ($0.076) and it charges customers another Rp.1.000 per km and and Rp100 ($0.0076) per minute.
Payment options are also different. I can pay my UberMotor fare with cash or credit card, while GrabBike and GoJek only accepts cash.
It seems that UberMotor has the upper hand with its local rivals GoJek and Grab, however because it is so new, it might take you more than 10 minutes to request a UberMotor.
Long wait
I waited for 15 minutes for UberMotor, and I could not find any driver when I tried the app at the first time.
Meanwhile, it takes me less than 5 minutes to grab a motorbike using Grab.
“I think there are only 200 drivers today,” the UberMotor rider told me. He said that he worked for GoJek before.
Uber’s expansion to motorbikes I believe, is a benefit to Indonesian commuters. They now have more choices.
However, other motorbike or taxi drivers must be unhappy with the added competition – especially taxi drivers who held a protest against ride-hailing apps in Jakarta last month. The protest turned violent, with some cab drivers attacking GoJek drivers.
What has been your experience with UberMotor? Would you try it out? Share us your thoughts in the comments section below. – Rappler.com
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