Philippine Ports Authority to implement automatic ticketing system by 2021

The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) is eyeing to start the implementation of an automated ticketing system in all ports by 2021.

As posted by the Department of Transportation on its Facebook page, the Philippine Ports Authority has scheduled the bidding for its Unified Electronic Ticketing System before the end of the year. The system aims to provide an online vessel booking, reservation, and payment system for roll-on-roll-off (Ro-Ro) ports. Passengers may use and access the system through desktop or mobile devices. Customers will be required to submit valid government-issued IDs online prior to booking.

To avoid overloading and overbooking, Philippine Ports Authority officials may now also monitor the seating capacity per vessel through the online system.

The number of deployed automated ticketing machines will depend on the passenger traffic of each port terminal. It will be equipped with an electronic reservation and ticketing assistant to reduce human-to-human transactions as the country continues to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Napakagandang pagkakataon na ma-roll out na itong system ngayon dahil walang interruption. Hindi na magiging mahirap ang transition para sa mga pasahero sa oras na magkaroon muli ng mga biyahe sa ating mga pantalan,” PPA GM Santiago said.

PPA’s latest initiative aims to provide online services for the convenience and benefit of port passengers, remove fixing and ticket scalping, and improve port processes for maritime safety and security.

Passengers may still buy their tickets using the automated ticket vending machines located in all PPA-managed ports nationwide.

PPA General Manager Daniel Jay Santiago shared that the PPA will be closely coordinating with MARINA to ensure that the maximum number of passengers available in the online system will follow the health and safety measures mandated by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) on public transportation.

Port employees will not be laid off despite the arrival of the Unified Electronic Ticketing System. PPA said that ports help and public assistance desks to be manned by PPA personnel will be retained on ports.

DOTr officials had a test run and demonstration of the PPA’s Unified Electronic Ticketing System last September 18 at the Port of Batangas.

Previously, PPA launched its Electronic Payment Portal which is designed to facilitate payment of port transactions while linked to the PPA’s online Cargo Handling Operators system.

Source: DOTr Facebook