JAKARTA — Transportation Minister Dudy Purwagandhi gave a firm assurance: online motorcycle taxi fares will not rise even though President Prabowo Subianto has set the maximum platform commission cut at 8 percent. The decision is part of the government’s support for ojol drivers, who have long demanded lower commissions.
“No, no increase. Fares won’t go up,” the minister said when confirmed in Jakarta on Tuesday (July 2, 2026).
The assurance is important because there had been concerns that platforms such as Grab, GoTo, or Maxim would raise service prices to offset the reduced commission. The minister understood those concerns and directly denied them.
Technical Reasons Fares Will Stay Stable
The government has concrete reasons why fares can remain stable without an increase. One of the main components that make up fares — insurance costs — is now fully borne by the platform companies, rather than being passed on to consumer fares.
“That component is no longer relevant to include in the fare calculation,” Dudy explained. With that logic, there is no technical reason to adjust fares upward.
Beyond that, the minister believes a fare increase would actually hurt drivers themselves. If fares rise, orders from consumers will fall because public purchasing power is declining. In the end, drivers would lose even though their commission has been reduced from the previous rate.
“If fares go up, the burden falls on the public. It will also hit drivers back. Because it may look like the 8 percent is good for them, but if there are no orders, it becomes a boomerang for them too,” the minister said in a brief but pointed explanation.
Platforms Are Ready and Did Not Ask for Higher Fares
Another notable fact: the platform companies never asked the government to raise fares after the 8 percent commission cut policy was announced. That means they have already considered the business impact and chosen another strategy.
Grab, GoTo, and Maxim — the three major players — are basically ready to implement the new rule, even though each company still needs internal operational adjustments. Only InDrive is still conducting further calculations, but that will not delay the policy taking effect on July 1, 2026.
“We already met with the operators on Friday, June 26, in the morning at 10:00 a.m. WIB at the office. They had already stated their readiness,” the minister said.
This commitment from the operators shows they understand that keeping fares stable is key to maintaining customers and order volume during this policy transition.
Cross-Subsidies and Premium Services Remain Flexible
To protect profit margins, the minister expects platforms to use a cross-subsidy mechanism — taking more profit from premium services to support basic services so they remain competitive.
On premium services, the minister did not rule out price adjustments. But that is not a government issue because the government only regulates economy-class fares (basic services).
“If they make innovations like comfort using a Harley Davidson, then of course they will adjust the price. That’s their business choice,” he said. The minister gave the example of conventional taxis: there is an executive class that costs more, and that is the consumer’s choice.
Even so, the minister honestly acknowledged the government cannot guarantee 100 percent that all platform prices will stay the same. Companies have the authority to manage their service products. However, the minister is confident platforms will choose internal adjustments rather than raise prices for consumers, in the interest of competitiveness and customer loyalty.
Balancing Three Parties
In essence, the 8 percent commission policy is designed to balance interests: drivers receive a larger commission, users are not harmed by higher fares, and platforms can still operate through their own internal efficiency.
The policy cutting ojol commissions to a maximum of 8 percent officially takes effect on July 1, 2026 — leaving only the question of whether the platforms’ commitment and the minister’s assurance will truly be realized in the field.
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