Heading to a mall near the GBK stadium in Jakarta, in pursuit of a cold beverage, I finally called one of Indonesia’s famed motorcycle taxis. The man was on his haunches, smoking a cigarette. He took a look at my Asian Games ID and made a face. “Which country, mister?” he asked. “India,” I said. “Indonesia have more medal,” he proclaimed in broken English, poking me with his disdain.
I let it pass; I had to get to the mall. To be fair, he got me there fast, albeit with some questionable driving. His was an ojek, a traditional motorcycle taxi in Indonesia, but it had a cardboard sign on it that said Go-Jek, which is the Uber-like app for bike taxis. The objective of the sign was to fool the untrained eye.
Apparently, many like him are looking at a bleak future ever since apps like Go-Jek and Grab have eaten into their business. In just a few years, the apps have found a loyal, thriving customer base, which relies on them to get to places during rush hour. A car would get stuck in traffic for hours, while the bikes manoeuvre the tiny gaps and keep moving onward.
Also, you can use the apps to order food and groceries, give your clothes to laundry or to even call over a masseur. Essentially, in a busy city like Jakarta, these apps are selling time. And, together, Go-Jek and Grab have more than 1.5 crore downloads.
A few days later, as I was returning from the stadium, I booked a Go-Jek. Having been fleeced earlier, I was taking no chances. I had my location locked and even sent him a picture using the chat feature of the app. Thankfully, he came on time and flashed me a smile. I got on and he gave me my helmet. It is mandatory for pillion riders to wear a helmet. Small talk, however, is optional. But, this guy was chatty, and a huge Bollywood fan.
“Why is Salman Khan not married, he’s 52!” he asked me. I honestly had no reply. “I also love Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka Sharma,” he said, adding that he liked “her face”. From the many people we had met over the past week or so, we realised that Shah Rukh Khan had a huge fan base in Jakarta. Little girls had swooned at the mention of his name, some of his songs were played at a local eatery, and now this man was professing his love for the actor.
The conversation weaved its way through many topics, like his bike on the busy streets, and eventually we reached the destination. He dropped me off, said goodbye, and said he would like to visit India some day. I wished him well and invited him to do so. He smiled again and took off into the darkness, singing a song to himself.