--- title: How Organizing Jakarta's Motorcycle Taxis Could Help its Notorious Traffic | TIME description: GOJEK is the first motorcycle taxi and courier service in Jakarta, Indonesia. Its founders think the start-up could help fix the city's notorious traffic problems canonical: https://time.com/video/y2aebH3m/ og:title: How Organizing Jakarta's Motorcycle Taxis Could Help its Notorious Traffic og:description: GOJEK is the first motorcycle taxi and courier service in Jakarta, Indonesia. Its founders think the start-up could help fix the city's notorious traffic problems og:url: https://time.com/video/y2aebH3m/ og:image: https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/y2aebH3m/poster.jpg?width=720 og:type: video.other twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: How Organizing Jakarta's Motorcycle Taxis Could Help its Notorious Traffic twitter:description: GOJEK is the first motorcycle taxi and courier service in Jakarta, Indonesia. Its founders think the start-up could help fix the city's notorious traffic problems twitter:image: https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/y2aebH3m/poster.jpg?width=720 --- # How Organizing Jakarta's Motorcycle Taxis Could Help its Notorious Traffic > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Subscription: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME is a general-interest news organization founded in 1923, reporting on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world. A TIME subscription provides full access to that journalism in print and digital, from $20 a year, and can be cancelled at any time. 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They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription. ## Video: How Organizing Jakarta's Motorcycle Taxis Could Help its Notorious Traffic [Watch (HLS stream): How Organizing Jakarta's Motorcycle Taxis Could Help its Notorious Traffic](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/y2aebH3m.m3u8) (5:46)  _Published 2011-12-19. GOJEK is the first motorcycle taxi and courier service in Jakarta, Indonesia. Its founders think the start-up could help fix the city's notorious traffic problems_ --- Jul 27, 2023 3:18 PM UTC --- ## More From This Series [All Videos](https://time.com/video/) [Thousands March in Protest of Jakarta's Mayor](/video/8ofnJ6C8/) ### Thousands March in Protest of Jakarta's Mayor [Know Right Now: ISIS Claims Terror Attack on Jakarta](/video/8uUIFPJi/) ### Know Right Now: ISIS Claims Terror Attack on Jakarta [CLIP: THE NOTORIOUS MR. BOUT](/video/A0iXfx3R/) ### CLIP: THE NOTORIOUS MR. BOUT --- ## Transcript [ SOUND ] Every single day, 3, 000 new vehicles hit the roads of Jakarta, making the notorious traffic jams in Indonesia's capital city even worse. From above, it's daunting. Inside, it seems inescapable. Traffic in Jakarta, is probably the single most talked about and frustrating problem for Jakartans. Most dwellers here will agree, if you have to navigate this messy gridlock, you're best to do it on two wheels instead of four. In a car during traffic hours. Getting back from the office area to some of the main residential areas can take you up to an hour and a half and whatnot, whereas on a motorcycle, easily you cut that in half. Go- jeks, the Indonesian term for motorcycle taxis, are becoming more and more common in a city where the average speed of a car in traffic is around five miles an hour. [ SOUND ] Slightly faster than a brisk walk. To become a go- jek driver, all you need is a motorbike. Which can be financed these days with a $ 50 down payment. The market is now flooded with motorcycle taxis, and with drivers, who spend most of their time waiting around at neighborhood street corners. [ NOISE ] Last year, Jacarda and recent Harvard business graduate, Nadeem Macarine, saw an opportunity to capitalize on the industry's underutilized workforce. The moment came, the a- ha moment came at the back of a motorcycle, back of an go- jek. I started actually talking to him and basically interviewing the driver, I ask them how many hours of a day to you actually spend taking customers to A to B, and after giving his response I was shocked. I discovered that over 70- 75 % of his time he was idle. Shortly after his fateful motorcycle ride, Nodiam co- founded go- jek. The cities first dispatcher for motorcycle taxi and courier services. Okay. We will, I will [ CROSSTALK ] [ INAUDIBLE ] We have 200 drivers spread across 80 locations. They, send in smsing that I'm available, at this particular zone. And that shows up in our computer system. So when we're allocating drivers, we essentially find the nearest available driver and send them off. [ FOREIGN ] Nadeem's company doesn't hire new drivers, and they don't put any new go- jeks on the road. They attract new customers with social media and an easy to use website, then connect them with already existing go- jek drivers through a dispatch service. Go- jek takes 35 % of her fare. [ FOREIGN ] [ FOREIGN ] Arman Saya has been working with the startup for about six months now. He's enjoying the perks, which include a helmet and jacket sporting their logo. And two or three additional jobs a day. [ SOUND ] [ FOREIGN ] I bought my motorcycle on credit. I used to be a bit late making the payments, but now I pay it off on time. [ SOUND ] This afternoon go- jek has sent Arman Saya to pick up Hannah. [ INAUDIBLE ] Yeah Who's working for an NGO in Jarkarta. [ NOISE ] She prefers the quickness of a motorcycle to a car, and has become a regular go- jek customer. All the go- Jek drivers that I've had, have been reliable and great. Still put someone to answer to, in terms of their representing. [ NOISE ] A, a company where as you know after when you just, walking down the street, and [ INAUDIBLE ] on a go- jek. They have no obligation to you. According to Naziem go- jek drivers like Arman Saya are more reliable. Not because they receive any additional training, but because the company recruits them based on three ctieria. They must have a valid license, at least two years experience, and priorities given to drivers with a family. Truck drivers with families are on average more dependable, and they are willing to work harder to, to basically provide for their family. Arman Saya, a father of two with five years experience driving, fits go- jeks profile of a reliable driver. And so far he's proved to be one. He appreciates the extra work, and the extra tips from customers like Hanna. Okay. [ INAUDIBLE ] Yeah. But he has one gripe with go- jek. He says that their commissions' too high. [ FOREIGN ] Yes. I think their 35 % cut is too big. 25 % would be just right. [ FOREIGN ] Some of the other go- jek drivers at his post agree. [ FOREIGN ] Nadiem says, go- jek was created to benefit the drivers. As much as the customers. And simply offers them a chance to earn additional income. He says the ultimate goal is eventually to work with the city to join the public transit system, and offer his drivers social security benefits and healthcare. I think it would be an amazing proof of concept that the informal transport sector, can be used to actually support public infrastructure. And I think proving that can be a very, very powerful force for emerging cities all across Asia and beyond. For Time Video, this is Jacob Templin in Jakarta. 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