The demands from Indonesian consumers for adequate transportation continues to grow, along with the increasing rate of urbanization, said Dr. David M.L. Tobing, S.H., M.Kn., Head of the Indonesia Consumer Community (KKI), in a statement received by Antara here on Wednesday.
According to David, the latest survey, conducted by the community on consumer preferences for urban land transportation services in Indonesia, revealed four determining factors influencing consumer choices in transportation, including security, safety, comfort and affordability.
With rapid urbanization, the need for adequate and safe urban transportation in Indonesia is increasing, David said, adding that without proper transportation services, the public will continue to use private vehicles, thus increasing congestion in urban areas.
"The availability and quality of urban transportation in Indonesia have improved, compared to a few years ago. However, not only must transportation be more integrated, it must also mainstream aspects of safety and comfort for passengers,” said David, who represented Indonesia at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) ‘Peer Review on Consumer Protection Law and Policy’ earlier this month in Geneva.
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He pointed out that through the survey, his community wanted to capture the experiences of consumers when using urban transportation, so this might serve as an evaluation tool and recommendations for policy-makers and transportation service providers.
The community’s survey finds four transportation modes most preferred by Indonesian consumers, based on their ability to fulfill the four determining factors of choice, he said, adding that these include online motorcycle taxis, online taxis, trans-buses (city buses) and commuter line trains (locally known by the abbreviation KRL).
"Our survey finds 99.7 percent of respondents claimed to have used, or often use, online transportation services. Furthermore, security and safety emerged as the top two factors that determine consumer preferences in choosing which brand or application to use,” he noted.
He also disclosed that two brands of online transportation services in Indonesia - Grab and Go-Jek - are the most-used brands by consumers, and consumer preferences for choosing Go-Jek services are shown to be higher, or 36 percent of the total respondents, while Grab’s users reached 32 percent, and those using both services make up 32 percent.
In ordering both online motorcycles and taxis, women make up the majority of consumers. Based on consumers’ claims of security incidents, female consumers were found to be more vulnerable to various acts of violence, abuse, loss or accidents when using online transportation, said David, who also served as a member of Indonesia’s Consumer Protection Agency (BPKN) from 2013 to 2016.
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Reporter: Bambang Purwanto
Editor: Sri Haryati
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