Shuk Yee
KUCHING: The proposal to bring e-hailing motorcycle taxi service Gojek to Malaysia brings mixed feelings among locals here.
Women, especially, want the terms and conditions tightened as they are worried about their safety when riding as pillion riders.
Shuk Yee, 39, from Kuala Lumpur and working as a salesperson here, feels that introducing Gojek to Malaysia is a good idea to overcome traffic jam and congestion.
“In terms of safety, it will have a bit of issue here of course. But I think it could be improved in the aspect of its terms and conditions, or maybe ride at our own risk at the moment.
“In KL, they have not started it yet, and I have not tried any at the moment but it is a good idea to avoid the jam,” said Shuk Yee.
Despite the safety issues, Hasniwati Yunus, 42, an army pensioner from Perak who happened to be in Kuching to accompany her daughter to register in one of the local universities here, thinks that using Gojek is a lot faster compared to driving own car or taking a Grab.
Hasniwati Yunus
“It’s convenient and faster, and you reach your destination in time. If you talk about safety issue, taking a Grab or taxi is also the same thing, you have male drivers driving the car. Safety is up to yourself. If you talk about comfort, using a motorbike is more comfortable,” she said.
The idea may be good but it is not necessary to bring Gojek to Kuching because the city has alternatives, said Sam Avenido, a Filipino who has been living in Kuching for 12 years and working at a retail outlet here.
“It’s a good intention but if you have alternatives like in Kuching, it is not necessary. Kuching is not so jammed like in KL. In Indonesia, Thailand they have this mode of transportation but safety wise it is dangerous unless these people are good riders,” he said.
He also expressed concern about women passengers.
Sam Avenido
“Unless the person who rides the motorbike is a female, or someone that they know, women will not feel comfortable. Looking at the brighter side, if there’s a market for that, if Kuching is ready, why not, as an alternative,” he said, adding that in Manila, Gojek or motorbike taxi is known as ‘Habal-habal’.
He suggested that pillion riders should be covered by insurance, just in case of mishaps.
On the other hand, Zubaidah Bujeng, 50, a housewife from Kuching, prefers Grab car to Gojek.
“If you are using Grab car, rain or shine you are protected. I have issues with Gojek, it is not safe for me. I prefer to ride in a group of four to five people going to the same destination for safety reasons.”
Zubaidah Bujeng
Recently, Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook said he would bring the proposal to bring e-hailing motorcycle taxi service ‘Go-jek’ to Malaysia to the Cabinet for discussion.
Loke said Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman would table the proposal to the Cabinet and his ministry would study the framework if the proposal is approved.
However, Loke said the government would not dismiss any possibilities before studying the proposal though his main focus is on strengthening the current public transportation system.
Go-jek was first established in Indonesia in 2010 as a call centre to connect consumers to courier delivery and two-wheeled ride-hailing services, and in 2015, it launched its application with three services, GoRide, GoSend and GoMart.