For a ferry passenger, a manifest may seem like little more than a list of names and vehicles. For operators and safety authorities, however, getting that list right can be critical to knowing exactly who and what is aboard a vessel when it leaves port.
PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry (Persero), Indonesia’s state-owned ferry operator, is seeking to strengthen compliance in the recording and verification of passenger and vehicle manifest data as part of broader efforts to improve crossing safety.
At a forum in Jakarta on Tuesday, ASDP brought together representatives from the National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT), the Ministry of Transportation, the National Police Traffic Corps, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), Jasa Raharja and Jasaraharja Putera, as well as ferry operators, transport and logistics associations, travel agents, ticketing channels and consumer groups.
The gathering underscored the number of parties involved in producing an accurate manifest, from the passenger buying a ticket to the operator responsible for validating the final list before departure.
“The manifest is not solely the responsibility of ASDP or the vessel operator. It is part of the entire travel process involving multiple parties,” ASDP Vice President Director Yossianis Marciano said.
“The principle we must uphold together is that what is recorded must match what is actually sailing. Thus, the accuracy of manifest data serves as a vital foundation for ensuring safe and secure journeys,” he said.
From booking to departure
The accuracy of a manifest begins before a passenger reaches the port.
Through ASDP’s Ferizy digital ticketing platform, passengers enter information including their travel plans, the number and identity of passengers and vehicle details, including license plate numbers.
That information is then subject to checks at the port. At the terminal gate, tickets, passenger identities and vehicles are verified against the booking data before passengers and vehicles proceed to loading.
A further validation takes place before departure. The shipping operator reviews the verified information and authorizes the final manifest before submitting a clearance request to the harbormaster.
The process is designed to create several layers of control rather than relying on a single check at the point of departure.
“The quality of the manifest is not determined solely at the moment of departure. Its accuracy is built from the moment data is first entered, then verified and validated at every stage of the journey,” Yossi said.
“Each party plays a distinct role, yet the entire process shares a single goal: ensuring travel safety.”
A shared responsibility
ASDP said the forum was intended to clarify the responsibilities of each party involved in entering, checking and validating manifest information.
The company said digitalisation through Ferizy can help connect data across the ferry travel chain, from ticket sales and check-in to verification, boarding, final manifest compilation and monitoring.
But technology alone does not ensure that the information is accurate. The data entered at the beginning of the process must correspond with the passengers and vehicles that ultimately board the vessel.
ASDP said strengthening compliance therefore requires common standards and greater coordination among operators, passengers, sales channels and other stakeholders.
“We believe that enhancing manifest quality cannot be achieved piecemeal. It requires shared standards, understanding, and commitment across the entire ferry travel chain,” Yossi said.
The company said the forum would also be used to identify weaknesses in data entry, verification, validation and integration, and to develop follow-up measures to strengthen oversight and compliance.
For Indonesia’s ferry network, where vessels connect thousands of islands and serve as a key part of the country’s transport system, ASDP said an accurate manifest remains a fundamental component of safe operations.
The company said it would continue working with stakeholders to improve compliance and data quality across the ferry travel process, with the aim of ensuring that the information recorded before departure accurately reflects who and what is actually on board.
