On 24th November 2015, ASDP Indonesia Ferry commenced the operation of a new modernised ticketing system at the Port of Merak and the Port of Bakauheni. The implementation of the latest generation Automatic Ticketing System (ATS) at these two ports serves as a pilot project prior to implementing the system throughout all of Indonesia’s inter-island crossings. The Merak-Bakauheni route is one of the country’s busiest ferry crossings and plays a vital role in facilitating economic activities between the islands of Sumatra and Java. In that respect, the introduction of the new ATS serves to improve upon its port services as well as reflects a renewed commitment to modernising port facilities in line with President Joko Widodo’s maritime ambitions.

The Corporate Secretary of ASDP Indonesia Ferry, Ms Christine Hutabarat, in her official statement on the launch of the new system explained that, in addition to providing enhanced accuracy with regards to ship manifests - which are important for passenger and cargo insurance data - the ticketing method ensures that financial leaks are minimised both for ferry users as well as for ferry operators. This is made possible by the use of precision three-dimensional sensors mounted on the ports’ tollgates which are able to automatically detect vehicle sizes and categorise them accordingly; replacing the manual method by tollgate keepers used previously. “Future transactions will truly comply with the Minister of Transportation Regulation No. 63 of 2015 on Inter-province Crossing Tariffs,” she underlined.

Following on from the implementation of the new ATS as of 8:00 p.m. on 24th November 2015, ASDP Indonesia Ferry also seeks to be able to continuously increase the quality of its services and establish a benchmark for ports in Indonesia in terms of modernity. “This system will be implemented at all ports under our management. Moreover, we are fully committed to better improving our services utilising information technology as the basis,” Ms Hutabarat closed.