Gig drivers fear hardship

Right to rally: Gig drivers taking part in a demonstration against fuel price hikes in Surabaya. — AFP

SITTING on the side of a Jakarta road anxiously waiting for his phone to ping, driver Muhammad Ridwan says it is now barely worth hurtling through thick smog every day to ferry passengers.

A 30% hike in fuel prices spurred hundreds of drivers of the most popular ride-hailing apps to hold protests across Indonesia as they struggle to make ends meet.