Cashless Transaction at Toll Gates May Face Problems

The use of electronic cards to pay the toll on the Jakarta-Surabaya toll roads is expected to reduce traffic congestion significantly. However, it could face problems if a number of requirements are not met.

KOMPAS/P RADITYA MAHENDRA YASA

Work on the toll road project from Pemalang to Semarang continues to be carried out to ensure that the mudik homecoming travelers can safely drive in Ngaliyan district, Semarang City, Central Java, on Tuesday (5/6/2018). Traffic signs and warning signs start to be installed so that the toll section under construction can be utilized during the upcoming homecoming travel.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS – The use of electronic cards to pay the toll on the Jakarta-Surabaya toll roads is expected to reduce traffic congestion significantly. However, the implementation of the cashless system could face problems if a number of requirements are not met.

The problems could occur, for example, if the electronic toll (e-Toll) card does not have enough balance to settle the transaction. "Therefore, we appeal to travelers to ensure that their e-Toll cards have a sufficient balance," the operations II director of state-owned toll operator PT Jasa Marga, Subakti Syukur, said in Jakarta on Tuesday.

The toll from Jakarta to Pemalang, Central Java, is Rp 212,500 for a passenger car. The toll would be lower with the discount rates on certain days.

The cashless payment system was introduced on Oct. 31, 2017 with the aim to accelerate flow at the tollgates. The use of the electronic cards had reduced transaction times to 2-3 seconds, from 7-8 seconds previously.

Another problem that often arises is that because many travelers are not used to the cashless system, they often drop their e-Toll cards. In addition, some of the electronic card readers installed at the tollgates do not function well. Therefore, it is necessary for the toll operator to assign employees to tollgates to help motorists if such problems occur.

Ellen Tangkudung, a public transportation expert at the University of Indonesia, said that the toll road operator must ensure that motorists can easily find a place to top up their e-Toll cards. In addition, the card readers should be checked to ensure that they were functioning well. "During the peak of the homebound travel, make sure there are backups for card readers and electronic cash cards in order to avoid congestion when the facilities do not function," said Ellen.

Subakti Syukur said the toll road operator was anticipating the potential problems. The number of tollgate booths was to be increased and 121 mobile card readers would be prepared.

"We will increase the e-card top-up locations from 43 to 56 locations and provide mobile banking services at 24 rest areas. To anticipate travelers who do not have electronic cash card, we will also be selling up to 65,920 cards," he said.

The toll road operator would also offer discounts from June 13-14, June 15-17, and June 8-23 to spread out the toll road traffic.

The Public Works and People\'s Housing Ministry highways director general, Arie Setiadi Moerwanto, appealed to the public to not use toll roads exclusively. Travelers could also use regular roads.

Banks prepare

The transactions senior vice president of Bank Mandiri’s retail sales group, Thomas Wahyudi, projected that cashless transactions at toll roads during June 9-20 would reach Rp 500 billion with 45 million transactions. As of April, Bank Mandiri has issued 14.3 million e-Money cards. About 86 percent of all transactions were conducted on toll roads.

Bank Central Asia (BCA) executive vice president/corporate secretary Jan Hendra said that BCA had prepared 1 million new BCA Flazz electronic cash cards. Meanwhile, Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI) corporate secretary Bambang Tribaroto said BRI would supply an additional 1 million Brizzi electronic cash cards to meet the increased need for cashless transactions during this year’s mudik (Idul Fitri exodus).

‘Mudik’ peak revised

The Transportation Ministry predicted that this year’s mudik would peak on June 8-9, based on the results of a survey released on Monday. Earlier, the ministry estimated that the peak would occur on June 13-14.

To that end, the ministry will temporarily open a number of toll roads currently being completed at 6:00 a.m. on June 8. The toll roads include the 74-kilometer Batang-Semarang toll road segment, the Salatiga-Solomadu segment (32.5 km) and the Wilangan-Kertosono segment (37 km).

The multimodal transportation director at the Transportation Ministry’s Directorate General of Land Transportation, Cucu Mulyana, said he had appealed to truck drivers not to use the toll roads during the peak of the homebound exodus. Goods trucks could still use the regular road. "It’s just a request, not a ban. The operational restrictions do not apply to trucks transporting gasoline and gas, livestock, staple goods, money and post, and trucks carrying motorcycles," he said.

The goods division chairman at the Organization of Land Transportation Owners (Organda), Ivan Kamadjaja, said that the notification of changes and the peak traffic prediction came a bit late.

(SYA/JUM/DIT/NAD/E21/E01/E18/E06/SUT/KRN/RWN/DKA/REN/RTG/E04/E05)