Nebengers: Indonesia

Have you ever let someone you have never met climb into your vehicle?

It may sound creepy... but driving alone in Jakarta’s traffic can be frustrating and tedious.

A community called Nebengers is trying to change this, while providing solutions to the city’s grid-locked traffic.

I’m in a car now with Putri and Mellissa – we’re all heading the same way. All of us here have only just met each other.... first online, then face to face... they’re members of the Nebengers community.

Nebengers is derived from the word Nebeng, an informal Indonesian term for ‘hitching a ride’.

It’s a Twitter-based community that brings together vehicle owners with extra seats, and public transportation users looking for more comfortable options, who are all travelling in the same direction.

Founded two years ago, the Nebengers community now has 2,000 active users, says its founder, 26-year-old Andreas Aditya Swasti.

“People might say... why do I have to share a ride? I could just take a taxi or drive my own car or motorbike. There’s a perception in society that getting a lift with others is a sign of being poor or just wanting to get a freebie. But in Nebengers we have terms and conditions for each ride. People can share whatever they’ve agreed. We basically share here, we’re all equal during the journey.”

Some of the most common terms and conditions involve sharing drinks or snacks. And the terms, says Andreas, have to be agreed before the ride.

“In the community... it’s collaboration, cooperation. There has to be a beneficial relationship. Perhaps you could be the navigator, or even drive the car.”

With Nebengers, anyone can share cars, motorbikes or even taxis together.

Gama Queto Riayantori offers the empty back seat of his motorbike every day.

“I’ve shared rides with so many people. Sometimes they bring breakfast to share or snacks or cold drinks. I feel touched by the things they do. Once, I shared my ride at 6.30 in the morning and the woman brought me breakfast... I think she made it herself. But there’ve been some bad experiences too... when the person who’s sharing a ride is not on time. We’ve agreed on a certain time to meet and then they just didn’t show up.”

23-year-old Refi Febriyan, another member of the Nebengers, was once mocked by her friends for catching a lift almost every day.

“At first, I felt a bit annoyed. It’s like... “ she says.

“I share something during the ride with the car owner anyway. They have no idea how much fun it is to share a ride. It’s a new way to meet new friends with different backgrounds and characters. We get to know more people. We can share; share the ride and share the knowledge with others as well.”

Jakarta has more than 7,000 kilometres of road... and 10 million motorbikes and 3 million cars clog the roads every day. And with less than 1% growth a year in road length, Jakarta is expected to suffer from total gridlock by next year.

And the online Nebengers community is trying to contribute solutions with 27 thousand of its followers on Twitter.

The aim was to help the city reduce its traffic jams by having groups of people travelling together, thereby reducing the number of vehicles on the roads.

But for 30-year-old Putri Sentanu, co-founder of Nebengers, it’s more than just about sharing a ride.

“We want to create a community... even more than that. We want Jakarta to be a more sociable place for its people. For us, it’s more than just about sharing rides. We want to grow the community and help others to reach their destinations in the most convenient way. We want people in Jakarta to get to know each other. If you’re worried about security, it’s because you don’t know us yet. So we don’t only help the traffic, but also create a new social life for others.”

At the moment, Nebengers uses Twitter accounts to connect and ensure the safety of its members who are sharing rides. Before a “transaction” is made, you can learn about other sharers through their Twitter profile. And now, Nebengers 2.0, a mobile application with location-based maps, is ready for launch.

“With this app, we can find someone near our location to share a ride with. It’s more effective, you don’t have to mention that person on Twitter or examine routes all the time.”

But many still feel uneasy about sharing a ride with strangers...

Well there’s no guarantee that sharing rides is safe, says Putri, so it’s important to have a positive attitude towards each other.

“Many have similar questions... how does this work... how can we trust one another... is it safe or not... Being sceptical is natural,” she says.

“We have this common belief that Jakarta’s streets are not safe, but as time goes by, you can learn more about the community. People just need to reconnect, both online and offline. And once they do, all suspicions disappear. And during the ride, you could find an old friend from high school... or someone who happens to come from the same city... have similar friends... At the end of the day, we’re all connected.”