Electronic ticketing has been successfully adopted by the airlines. Why not the ships and ferries.
This is exactly what the Philippine Ports Authority is planning this year, with its e-ticketing project now in final phase of review and testing of an online platform to pave the way for its implementation.
PPA General Manager Jay Santiago said they are now coordinating with the system developer of the program as he revealed that they are eyeing the implementation within this year, especially before another provincial exodus due to holidays and long weekends.
“We are currently finalizing and customizing the program protocols in cooperation with the system’s developer and we hope to implement within 2023,” Santiago told the Manila Bulletin.
The e-ticketing system is one of the two full digitization efforts that they want to implement for 2023 aside from the Trusted Operator Program – Container Registry and Monitoring System (TOP-CRMS), which uses technology for up-to-date container tracking allowing customers, carriers, freight forwarders, and shippers to access the status of their cargoes and containers.
The TOP-CRMS is expected to keep a registry and monitor all inbound shipping containers that will track every foreign-owned container’s location and movement using the industry- accepted data interchange formats through encrypted channels.
On the part of e-ticketing system, Santiago said it is the PPA’s solution to ease the burden of passengers especially during long school and work breaks.
“The electronic ticketing system is part of our big electronic management system. It aims to assist our kababayan from spending a lot of time in long lines just to purchase a ticket in our ports,” Santiago said.
“What we want to address through this project is the usual long lines that passengers have to endure whenever they go to their hometowns or go on a vacation to take advantage of long breaks. We feel how stressful it is and how tiring it is on the part of the passengers,” he added.
Santiago cited the recent Holiday break when thousands of passengers have spent long hours in ports that resulted in heavy traffic in all the roads leading to the ports, and congestion in the passenger terminals.
The e-ticketing system will have a platform wherein all the shipping lines would be connected. The portal includes the schedule of all travels such as the expected departure and arrival time from and to the ports, as well as a system that would enable booking and ticket payment.
“Our kababayan can log on to this portal and plan their travel in just one sitting at the comfort of their homes, offices or wherever they are,” said Santiago.
“We hope that the shipping lines will accept the migration to electronic ticketing for the benefit of the riding public. Our kababayans deserve a better travelling experience which is safe, convenient and free from scalpers and fixers,” he added.
But we are keeping our fingers crossed that the e-ticketing system would also have a way to check all the smuggling and entry of contraband items in the country.