Online ticketing not sole solution to passenger congestion
Maritime stakeholders should collaborate in addressing passenger influx
Daily TribuneMaritime stakeholders should collaborate in addressing passenger influx
The online ticketing of passengers by shipping lines cannot solely address port congestion during peak travel seasons, according to a domestic ferry operator.
"The complexities of managing peak season travel demand require a comprehensive approach that goes beyond ticketing systems alone," Starhorse Shipping Lines president and CEO Vincent Dominic Reyes said in a Viber interview on Tuesday.
All maritime stakeholders should be involved in solving passenger influx in ports, Reyes stressed.
"This includes the Philippine Ports Authority, which plays a crucial role in ensuring that port facilities are equipped to handle and accommodate influxes of passengers, particularly during peak seasons," he said.
Moreover, improving port infrastructure and facilities is essential to effectively manage and support the increased volume of passengers, he added.
"We urge all stakeholders to work collaboratively to address these challenges," he said.
Meanwhile, PPA general manager Atty. Jay Santiago said only five percent of domestic shipping lines have an online ticketing system, which can help project passenger volume and prevent sudden overcrowding in ports.
Santiago said the long lines to ticket booths could have been resolved if the online ticketing scheme that they proposed during the previous administration was implemented.
The PPA's Electronic Terminal Management System was cancelled by the agency's Board last year.
The ETMS was originally imposed through PPA Administrative Order 12-2019 issued in November 2019. The AO provides rules for implementing a central ticketing system, an online application procedure that would support an integrated vessel booking, and a payment system for roll-on/roll-off ports.
The ETMS aims to "provide a digitized and systematized process of recording and simultaneous submission of passenger manifest and vessel voyage information which can effectively be scaled and extended to support future phases of the terminal management process at the PPA port terminals."
