If you’re in Jakarta and you want to quickly get around the city then you need to know about Ojek. I was lucky enough to be at the launch party for the app. Let me tell you about this service.

If you’re in Jakarta for a visit, also read:

15 Things to do in Jakarta as a Tourist

Jakarta Walking Tour: Enjoy the City at its Best

Exploring Indonesia: A Guide to Baduy

First things first…
Do you know what an Ojek is?

An Ojek, or a motorbike taxi, is a motorcyclist that offers rides to wherever you want to go. Ojek is a quite popular mode of transport in Jakarta, because:

  • some public transportation in Jakarta is not connected pretty well and Jakarta isn’t that pleasurable to walk around (especially during the day and during rush hour). So people often take ojek from their office to the train station (in some cases the distance is actually close enough to walk) or etc.
  • the traffic in Jakarta is so hard to deal with. Have you heard that Jakarta has the worst traffic in the world? Check this article. For these reasons getting an Ojek is definitely a solution to get where you want to quickly and cheaply. It is just so easy to go anywhere with ojek.

The problem with getting an Ojek comes when you are a tourist (or not familiar with certain areas) in Jakarta. When you are about to use an Ojek service, bargaining is a must. Never ever take an ojek before you agree on how much you will pay for the service.

Since you don’t speak the language, bargaining can be really difficult!

Believe me, even for those that speak the (Indonesian) language, bargaining is tricky. You also need to know how much you should pay. You need to know the distance between your departure point to your arrival point and the supply-demand of Ojek in that area. Both things that even locals don’t always know.

Then came Go-Jek. Their tagline is “An Ojek for Every Need“.

Nadiem Makarim, CEO & Founder GO-JEK, explained services that provided by Go-Jek which are: Instant Courier, Transport and Shopping. So there you have it, an ojek for every need.

With these aims in mind the company was set up to simplify payment for Ojeks by setting a set rate per kilometer. It works a little bit like Uber. It made things simple, with a meter you know exactly how much you need to pay. Simple.

The problem was you still needed to find the drivers…

Bloggers gathering with Gojek Jakarta transportation

Bloggers Gathering – Photo by Go-Jek team

Go-Jek and Bloggers Gathering

I recently attended a bloggers gathering hosted by Go-Jek. The company have just launched their Go-Jek mobile apps for Android and iOS users and it is really great.

You can either download the app and place your order there (which was super easy! I’ll tell you my experience on below section) or you can call (021) 7251110. Btw, my referral code is:

52 73 866 40

input the referral code once you have signed up and you will get Rp50,000 credit for first-time use. Yes, you’re welcome! Keep spreading the Go-Jek love! 😉

Interested to learn more? Well here is an overview of how to use the service.

gojek jakarta transportation alternative

The Go-Jek apps interface is clean. Practical and very user friendly. I tried the “Transport” service.

  • After choose the “transport” service, it will bring you to the next window which is displayed “Drivers near me” map and pick up option contain of From (pick a location-street/building name and location details-house no./floor/landmark), To (pick a location) and choices of pick up now or pick up later (you need to provide pickup time). You’ll get the PRICE INFO here too. It is on blue highlight at the top of the screen! You won’t missed it. Btw, It is Rp4000 / km and you’ll get fair price + no need to bargain.
  • Got all the details filled up. The next page is “Finding Driver” plus some facts like: Did you know? All transport booking comes with free hair cover and masker. Ah! Perfect!

free hair cover and masker

  • Later, you’ll get your Go-Jek credit deducted (or you can pay cash) and “Your Driver is on His Way” page. It stated your pick up address and time estimation (that time wasn’t quite right, it was said 10 minutes, but the driver arrived in 15 minutes). It will also showed your driver name + picture (new drivers mostly don’t have it) and an option of communication to the driver (call and sms).
  • Just wait and go with your Ojek driver that you’ve ordered through Go-Jek. Easy!

My Go-Jek experience

I downloaded the app. It was super easy to sign up, you just need to provide your name, phone numer, email and password. I was provided Rp250,000 free Go-Jek credit when I attended the blogger gathering. Later that night tried the service. I was a happy customer!

Transportation Jakarta ojek

Your number is withheld if you phone or send an sms

picture with the ojek driver is not a crime

Taking a picture with your ojek driver is not a crime.

Conclusion

I definitely recommend use the Go-Jek service (I only have the experience with their “transport” service, but some friends apparently already use their instant courier service and they said it was great too).

I love when people offer solution to a problem, instead of just complaining and doing nothing.

Nadiem Makarim ceo go-jek
So are you tempted to give Go-Jek a go? Or have you ever tried Go-Jek before? Tell me your experience(s)!

 
Still need to book your hotel for Jakarta? Save yourself some time! Here’s a list of the best hotels near Jakarta Airport for every budget.