Jakarta. Thousands of online motorcycle taxi (ojek) and courier drivers rallied in Central Jakarta's Monas area on Thursday, demanding fairer tariffs and legal recognition for their profession.

The drivers parked their vehicles and urged passing ojek drivers to join the protest, often stopping them to remove their jackets as a sign of solidarity. The protest grew more intense when drivers who hadn’t joined attempted to continue working.

Tensions escalated when a driver carrying a passenger passed the demonstration in front of the Danareksa Building. The crowd stopped him, forcibly removed his work jacket, and only then allowed him and his passenger to continue.

"The passenger wasn’t asked to get off, just the driver’s jacket was removed," said Andi, one of the protesting drivers, speaking to Beritasatu.com. He explained that the action was intended as a show of unity among the drivers.

Despite the ongoing protest, some ojek drivers were still operating in areas like Mampang Prapatan and Jalan Gatot Subroto in South Jakarta, while others were seen resting in Kuningan.

Hundreds of online taxi drivers also joined the protest, gathering at the Gojek headquarters in Petojo, Central Jakarta.

The drivers presented several demands to Gojek, one of Indonesia's leading ride-hailing companies. Their concerns included setting a fair tariff structure for passenger fares and reducing administrative fees imposed by the company.

“We are also demanding clarity on the accounts of hundreds of partners that have been suspended unilaterally due to alleged data falsification. Additionally, we want the removal of service order restrictions in certain areas,” said Loa Samuel, a representative of the drivers, speaking to the media.

Gojek reassured customers that its services would continue uninterrupted. "We emphasize that Gojek’s operations will remain normal, and customers can continue to use our services as usual. We urge our driver partners not to be provoked and to keep working as usual," said Rosel Lavina, Head of Corporate Affairs at Gojek, in an official statement.

The protesters are calling for changes to Regulation No. 1/2012 by the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, which sets the tariff structure for online drivers and couriers in Indonesia. Their key demands include reducing the current commission rates, which range from 20 percent to 30 percent, and legal recognition of their profession.

As informal sector workers, ojek drivers generally lack formal contracts, job security, and social protections, which has fueled their dissatisfaction and led to the protest.

The Jakarta Metro Police deployed 1,784 personnel to secure the protests across various locations in Jakarta.