Transportation observers remain optimistic about the recently implemented electronic ticketing (e-ticketing) system for the city'€™s public transportation despite the recent mess, saying that there is a long way to go but is on the right path.

Institute for Transportation and Development Policy director Yoga Adiwinarto said all countries experienced problems when they kicked off their own e-ticketing system for the first time.

'€œIt'€™s totally normal for transportation companies to undergo technical glitches and adaptation issues from passengers,'€ he said on Saturday.

Yoga said the companies needed to continue improving the systems in accordance with the problems occurring.

Public transportation firms Transjakarta management (BLU) and state-owned commuter train operator PT KAI Commuter Jabodetabek (KCJ) recently implemented e-ticketing to reduce long lines at ticket booths.

However, solid implementation has a long way to go as many aspects need to be improved.

Transjakarta passenger Yuanita, 30, for example, had to go out of her way to top-up her card.

'€œTransjakarta cooperates with many banks whose procedures are different. My card is not only required to be topped-up at the ATM but in addition I have to go to the bank to balance the credit,'€ she said on Saturday.

Yuanita, a media firm worker, said that it was horrible how despite the zealous promotion and campaigning that Transjakarta was still not prepared for the e-ticketing implementation.

Transjakarta management (BLU) introduced e-ticketing by cooperating with five banks '€“ Bank DKI, BCA, BRI, BNI, and Mandiri '€“ for its buses in January. So far, only bank DKI has provided top-up stations in some bus shelters.

Transjakarta spokesperson Sri Uli Pinem admitted that some banks were still working on providing top-up stations at the shelters.

Yoga said problems in the e-ticketing system were due to a lack of integration.

Meanwhile, KCJ, which has seemingly prepared the needed infrastructure, still has to deal with passenger discipline.

'€œWe lost around 700,000 single trip tickets since the system was introduced on July 1,'€ KCJ spokeswoman Eva Chairunnisa said, adding that the company suffered at least Rp 3 billion (US$300,000) in losses.

KCJ distributes two types of cards '€“ multi-trip cards for regular commuters and single trip cards that need to be returned when commuters leave stations.

Eva said passengers did not return single trip cards for various reasons, including because they wanted to try re-using the card or because they left the stations through illegal exists.

She said that the operator would beef up security to sterilize stations and prevent passengers from leaving a station with ticket cards.

'€œBased on studies in some countries that have implemented the e-ticketing system such as China, Singapore and Japan, it takes more than one year before the system runs well,'€ she said.

University of Indonesia transportation expert Darmaningtyas said the system would run well as long as the company made adjustments based on passenger behavior.

'€œAll passengers must leave from the authorized gates so the number of missing cards can be reduced,'€ he said.

He added that the adjustments needed to happen fast so passengers would not grow impatient and look alternative ways to leave the stations.

Meanwhile, Jakarta Transportation Council chairman Azas Tigor Nainggolan criticized KCJ for blaming passengers for the ticket losses. He said that the operator could have procured cheaper tickets to avoid the losses.

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