Batam drivers say earnings have fallen despite new rules reducing platform commissions to 8 percent.

A gap is emerging between Indonesia’s national policy claims and the experience of ride-hailing drivers in Batam. President Prabowo Subianto says some drivers have reported their earnings doubling or even tripling after platform commissions were reduced, but drivers in Batam say their daily income has instead continued to decline.

Prabowo Says Driver Earnings Have Increased
President Prabowo Subianto said during his annual address to the MPR and joint session of the DPR and DPD on August 14, 2026, that the government had introduced a fairer revenue-sharing arrangement between ride-hailing drivers and platform companies. Under the new arrangement, the maximum platform commission for passenger transportation was reduced from 20 percent to 8 percent, theoretically increasing drivers’ share from 80 percent to 92 percent. Prabowo said he had received reports of significant improvements, with some drivers claiming their earnings had doubled or even tripled.

Batam Drivers Report Different Reality
Ride-hailing drivers in Batam, however, challenged the president’s assessment, saying the improvement described nationally does not reflect what they are experiencing on the ground. Rather than seeing their incomes multiply, local drivers said earnings have declined. Their experience highlights how reducing the headline platform commission does not necessarily translate directly into higher take-home income when other variables, including order volumes, additional charges, incentives, operating expenses, and competition among drivers, are considered.

Lower Commission Does Not Guarantee Triple Income
Using survey data from 1,018 drivers across 62 Indonesian cities and regencies, IDEAS estimated average gross daily earnings at Rp126,313 under the previous 20 percent deduction. After average operating expenses of Rp65,694, drivers were left with about Rp60,619. Its simulation found that the commission change would add only around Rp19,000 per day if other factors remained constant.

Questions Over Additional Platform Deductions
Driver organizations have also questioned whether the 8 percent ceiling accurately represents all deductions faced by drivers. The Indonesian Transportation Workers Union (SPAI), for example, cited a passenger order worth Rp19,500 in which various charges ultimately left the driver with Rp12,880, equivalent to an overall deduction of about 34 percent.

Policy Impact Needs Broader Measurement
The contrasting accounts demonstrate why commission percentages alone may not provide a complete picture of driver welfare. Number of orders, fares, fuel costs, maintenance, insurance, incentives, additional platform charges, and working hours all influence what drivers ultimately earn.

The disagreement between President Prabowo’s national assessment and the experiences reported by Batam drivers highlights the importance of measuring policy outcomes at the worker level. For Indonesians, the central question is whether lower platform commissions genuinely produce sustainable improvements in drivers’ net earnings after expenses. For Singaporeans, the debate offers insight into how Indonesia is regulating its rapidly expanding gig economy, an increasingly important part of employment and urban transportation across Southeast Asia.

Sources: Batampos (2026) , Jawa Pos (2026)

Keywords: Batam Ojol Drivers, Prabowo Ojol Claim, Ride-Hailing Income, Platform Commission, Online Transportation, Indonesia Gig Economy