Ahead of MLFF Trial, BPJT Continues Coordination with Roatex
The Head of the Toll Road Regulatory Agency (BPJT), Ni Komang Rasminiati, stated that her agency is continuously coordinating with PT Roatex Indonesia Toll System (RITS), acting as the Implementing Business Entity, to conduct pre-trials for the Multi Lane Free Flow (MLFF) project, or the non-stop toll payment system.
This coordination pertains to the technical preparation of various scenarios for the pre-trial of the contactless toll payment system. “We are currently preparing the technical scenarios that will be tested,” said Komang at the Ministry of Public Works office on Friday (3/7).
However, Komang did not provide a specific target date for when this pre-trial will take place. “Once the preparations are sufficiently mature, we will be able to determine the target for the pre-trial,” said Komang, who is also the Director General of Public Works Infrastructure Financing at the Ministry of Public Works.
Similarly, the location for the pre-trial has not yet been determined. She noted that the MLFF pre-trial location will be decided based on the finalised scenarios.
The MLFF system utilises Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) technology and conducts transactions through the Cantas application, which is integrated with Electronic Registration and Identification (ERI) data, or vehicle ownership data held by the Indonesian National Police Traffic Directorate (Korlantas Polri).
One of the benefits of the MLFF transaction system is the efficiency of operational costs and the minimisation of vehicle fuel consumption. The implementation of MLFF transactions represents a breakthrough in saving the consumption of subsidised fuel.
In addition to fuel wastage, congestion at toll gates—caused by daily transactions reaching 4 million—can also lead to air pollution.
Technical Scenario Development
Previously, the Director of PT Roatex Indonesia Toll System (RITS), Renaldi Utomo, stated that the company is currently involved in drafting technical scenarios for the implementation of the trial. Various possible field conditions are being discussed as part of the preparations.
According to Renaldi, coordination between the government and investors is progressing well. He also assessed that the government remains committed to continuing the MLFF project.
As an investor and government partner in the project, RITS is still awaiting decisions regarding the location and timing of the trial. Bali, which was initially planned as a pilot location, remains one of the options, although testing could also be conducted on other toll road segments.
Renaldi explained that the cooperation contract held by RITS, since receiving the work order on 15 March 2022, still refers to the MLFF concept. However, during the transition period, toll gate systems with barriers may still be used.
“We have agreed that during this transition process, barriers will still be utilised. Therefore, there is a transition concept and a final concept according to the MLFF design. The final decision, of course, lies with the government, and we support it,” he said.
He added that drafting scenarios and testing are crucial stages before the government makes a decision regarding wider MLFF implementation. The system is expected to reduce vehicle queues and accelerate transactions on toll roads.
Increasing Urgency
On the other hand, the implementation of Multi Lane Free Flow (MLFF) is considered increasingly urgent due to rising traffic volumes and the need for more efficient toll transaction management. However, its implementation must be carried out gradually, considering the infrastructure readiness of each toll road segment.
Transport observer from the Polytechnic of Road Transport, Anton Budiharjo, stated that the MLFF system is an inevitability for future toll road management. In addition to accelerating vehicle flow, the electronic-based transaction system is also seen as facilitating easier supervision and data management by the government.
“Traffic volume is continuously increasing. With electronic-based payments, all transactions will be recorded digitally, making supervision easier. If new policies such as road tolls are introduced in the future, calculations will also be simpler because all data is electronically recorded,” said Anton.
Commencing Implementation
He suggested that the government could begin MLFF implementation in areas with the best infrastructure readiness, such as Jakarta. However, trials should not be applied to all toll gates immediately, but rather start with a single gate first.
Through this approach, the public can experience the benefits of a system that allows vehicles to pass without stopping to transact. Once it functions well, the scope of implementation can be expanded gradually to other gates.
“Start with one gate first. Once the public experiences the convenience, it can be expanded to two, three, and eventually all gates. Within approximately five years, all toll gates could implement the multi-lane free-flow system,” he said.