Policy Forum & Working Group on On-Demand Services

Indonesia’s 38 provinces each present distinct mobility realities—from dense urban corridors in Java to remote rural communities in Papua, and from Bali’s tourism-driven flows to the emerging economic zones of Kalimantan and Sulawesi. These differences make it clear: a one-size-fits-all approach cannot deliver equitable, sustainable JTDO (Jasa Transportasi Daring On-Demand) services.To navigate these complexities, Obviously Sustainable and Grab Indonesia convened the inaugural Policy Forum on On-Demand Transportation Services on 13 November 2024, followed by an immersion programme on 14 November. The event brought together a uniquely diverse network of university experts, making academia a central partner in shaping more grounded, regionally informed mobility solutions.

University Partners Across Nine Cities: Evidence Builders for Contextual Mobility Policy

The Forum gathered 25 academics: professors, lecturers, and researchers—from universities across Sumatra, Java, Bali, Kalimantan, and Sulawesi. Their contributions were essential in grounding policy discussions in regional realities, recognising that transport challenges in Medan, Yogyakarta, Makassar, and Jayapura differ dramatically. Their expertise spanned: digital economics and labour economics, urban mobility and transportation engineering, regional and rural development, platform economy competitiveness, and environmental sustainability

These experts shaped five core research questions that will guide future evidence-building efforts on JTDO—addressing tariff models, cost structures, labour equity, demand patterns, and long-term sustainable mobility planning.

Their strong engagement was reflected in feedback:

• 90% found the Forum highly valuable for linking academic knowledge with real-world platform operations.

• 92% planned to apply insights to teaching, research, and university–industry collaboration.

This establishes academia as a long-term thought partner for the mobility sector.

Obviously Sustainable: Partnership Broker & Policy Architect

Obviously Sustainable designed the end-to-end structure of the Forum, ensuring it moved beyond discussion toward co-creation. OS facilitated the integration of industry needs with academic expertise through:

• Structured focus group discussions

• A collaborative research design framework

• Immersive field learning

• High-level synthesis of policy challenges and opportunities

By enabling direct dialogue between Grab teams and academic researchers, OS positioned the Forum as a replicable model for multi-stakeholder mobility policymaking. The Forum also successfully established the foundation for the Working Group on On-Demand Services, a long-term platform for systematic engagement between academics, Grab, and policy actors.