Indonesia says Go-Jek, Grab need to register as transport businesses

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Ride-hailing companies Go-Jek and Grab must register in Indonesia as transport companies within two months to ensure they meet safety requirements as a public transport provider, Indonesia’s transport minister said on Monday.

A passenger sits next to Grab corner sign as he waits for a Grab bike at Sudirman train station in Jakarta, Indonesia, March 26, 2018. REUTERS/Beawiharta

“We in the Transport Ministry have finalised this and within one or two days we will meet stakeholders to discuss,” Minister Budi Karya Sumadi told a news conference. Another official said once a ride-hailing company obtained a license it needed to follow the rules of a public transport provider.

The minister also pledged that the government would ensure competition in the ride-hailing sector after Uber Technologies Inc’s deal to sell its operations in Southeast Asia to rival ride-hailing firm Grab.

Reporting by Cindy Silviana; Writing by Gayatri Suroyo; Editing by Ed Davies and Stephen Coates