Want To Go Home Comfortably And Smoothly, Use Cashless Payments!

Illustration. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Transportation (Kemenhub) said cashless payments provide positive benefits for the transportation sector, especially outlining the density at transportation nodes.

"Cashless as a digitalized child is a necessity. Cashless helps homecoming more smoothly. Non-cash payments can outline congestion at transportation nodes, such as at airports and ports," said Ministry of Transportation Spokesperson Adita Irawati in a Webinar Homecoming Safe and Comfortable with Cashless, quoted from Antara, Tuesday 18 April.

According to Adita, payments that use cashless make it easier to go home, including at rest areas. Therefore, he hopes that the telecommunications operator can support the implementation of cashless during homecoming.

Adita said that digitalization is now a necessity for all sectors, including the transportation sector. In the era of digitalization like today, like it or not, people must be able to change their habits to a more efficient, easy, and simple one.

"Talking about digitalization, we must be grateful that when a pandemic hits our country and globally provides wisdom in the form of a boost to digitally transform, starting from buying tickets to checking-in while traveling," said Adita.

Meanwhile, President Director of PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry (ASDP) Ira Puspadewi stated that the use of cashless for ticket purchases since August 2018.

At first, he said, it was certainly not easy. ASDP consumers are certainly diverse and many in the eastern region, plus the availability of infrastructure is different from in Java and Bali.

"It is a challenge for ASDP, another challenge during the implementation of cashless is the economic level of the community. In 2018, we started cashless, the rejection was extraordinary, but we must not back down. We carried it out during the Eid season and it was first implemented on the busiest Merak-Bakauheni track during the peak season," said Ira.

Currently, he also admits that there are still people who protest over the implementation of digitalization of ASDP ticket payments. Bahakn, there are still people who still insist on going to the ticket purchase show. However, ASDP still prioritizes cashless.

This year, he continued, the interest in going home is very large, especially since PPKM has been revoked. Compared to last year, in 2023 the prediction of travelers will reach more than 182 million people, even though in 2022 it will only be around 85 million.

"In our opinion, service using cashless is absolute because it is for everyone's convenience. The COVID-19 pandemic provides an opportunity for us to accelerate cashless and digitize," said Ira.

On that occasion, the President Director of PT Bank Central Asia Tbk. (BCA) Jahja Setiaatmadja stated that his party is ready to support various needs when going home with cashless services through the BCA mobile application.

He also reminded BCA customers to always check Flazz balances and top ups before entering the toll road.

"If the BCA Flazz card is missing, don't worry. If the card is lost while going home, immediately control the transaction or block it via myBCA or BCA mobile," he said.

He also said that cashless transactions grew rapidly and this fasting month usually increased national monthly transactions by 8'9 percent over the normal period.

"BI's regulatory support increases public confidence in cashless transactions," he said.