As of Monday, 92 percent of toll road users have switched to using cashless payments. The figure is higher in Greater Jakarta, at 95 percent, and significantly lower outside Java at 77 percent.

The government initially hoped that by Tuesday, the cashless payment system could be fully applied at more than 1,700 toll booths nationwide.

However, Public Works and Public Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono signaled on Monday that the government might still provide one manned booth to accept both cash and electronic payments during the transition period, though declined to elaborate on how long that would be.

“Changing the habit [from paying cash] is not instant, even though we have been disseminating information [about cashless payments] for the last few months,” he said, underlining that the Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) had voiced a similar concern.

During the transition period, officers would still sell electronic payment cards at toll gates,
he added.

Separately, Indonesian Toll Road Authority (BPJT) head Herry Trisaputra Zuna confirmed Basuki’s statement, saying that drivers who still used cash “should be addressed.”

“We will assess the technicalities in the field,” he said, adding that card reader machines are ready at every toll booth, 72 percent of which could only accept cashless payments, while the remainder could also accept cash.

The government will still provide top-up facilities for e-payment cards at toll gates, but urged drivers to refill them elsewhere.

According to BPJT data, 847 locations currently offer top-up services through electronic data capture (EDC) machines, though 484 more are still in the pipeline.

Meanwhile, 117 more locations will be added to the existing 13 that accept top-ups using cash.

Launched in 2014 and endorsed by Bank Indonesia (BI), the e-toll system aims to cut long lines at toll gates by simplifying the payment process and reducing the operational costs of toll road operators.

In response to the issue, Bank Mandiri vice president for digital banking and financial inclusion, Nandan Sandaya, said that the lender had provided free cards for toll road users, subsidized both by the bank and toll road operators.

“We give them away for free because there are still people who have yet to use the [electronic] cards,” he said, adding that around 1.5 million cards are already in circulation, though only half is being used.

The government plans to extend the distribution of free cards for two weeks, starting on Tuesday.

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