Brotherhood of green jackets

Tales of sacrifice common among Indonesia's 'ojol' riders

- Hariz Baharudin Correspondent and Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja

JAKARTA - Before dawn breaks over the capital, Mr Aris Prabowo is already on his red Honda motorbike - with his black helmet strapped on, and green jacket zipped tight — ferrying some of Jakarta's 11 million residents to work.

At age 51, his routine is unyielding. He starts at 5.30am and rides until noon, before heading home to relieve his wife in caring for their 17-year-old son, who has autism.

By late afternoon, he is back on the road, taking food and ride orders until close to midnight.

It might sound like an exhausting rhythm, but it allows him to be present for his son - a trade-off that he treasures.

Stories like Mr Aris' are not unusual among "ojol", or motorcycle taxi riders. Among their ranks, many have similar stories of sacrifice and reinvention.

Carrying passengers and parcels as they weave in and out of notorious traffic jams, they are regarded as the backbone of urban life in Indonesia's sprawling cities.

Most riders operate through the two dominant platforms, Gojek and Grab, which have become the main gateways for ojol services across Indonesia's cities.

Their role came into sharp focus last week when protests swept the country after 21-year-old rider Affan Kurniawan was crushed by a police tactical vehicle in Jakarta on Aug 28. His death fuelled some of the worst unrest in decades.

For many ojol riders, autonomy is one of the few perks of the job. A decade ago, though, life looked very different for Mr Aris.

Back then, he worked in finance, clocking the rigid hours of an office job. But the demands of a desk career clashed with responsibilities at home, leaving his wife to shoulder too much of their son's care.

"He grew up fast and got bigger. My wife couldn't handle him alone. He sometimes had meltdowns and getting him on and off the wheelchair became exhausting to do by herself," said Mr Aris.