Jakarta. The Ministry of Transportation has introduced three online applications to make it easier for people to apply for permits, dispute and pay traffic fines and buy tickets for land-based public transportation.

Transportation permit applications can now be done through the Spionam app. The name is derived from the Bahasa Indonesia acronym for Online Permission System for Transportation.

Traffic fines can be disputed and paid through the E-Tilang app, while tickets for public transportation can be purchased through the E-Ticketing app.

"With Spionam, E-Tilang and E-Ticketing, Indonesia is trying to improve its competitive positioning internationally [in the transportation sector]. It starts by developing those online apps," Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi said in a statement on Monday (05/03).

Spionam is intended for use by companies or groups seeking permits to provide public transportation on land or water.

"We believe these apps will support the economy, as it would improve the investment climate," the minister said.

Road users who had committed traffic offences, locally known as tilang, previously had to go to court if they wanted to dispute the fines, but the Transportation Ministry hopes the E-Tilang app will make this easier, as they will now just receive an invoice, which can be settled online.

"E-Tilang will provide a better service; ease the way of doing things," Budi said.

The system has been tested in several parts of the country, including Magelang in Central Java, since 2016. Public feedback has reportedly been positive, as people no longer have to queue for hours just to go to court and pay their fines.

E-Tilang is integrated with the police, prosecutor's offices and regional courts, with judges issuing verdicts on traffic violations online, eliminating the need for offenders to appear in court.

The ministry has an agreement with state-owned lender Bank Rakyat Indonesia for the provision of a payment system through E-Tilang.

The E-Ticketing app meanwhile, is intended to boost the land transportation sector, which is currently lagging behind air transportation in terms of an effective way for purchasing tickets.

Booking services such as Traveloka, Agoda and Tiket.com currently provide platforms for the reservation and purchase of airline tickets, but not for interprovincial and city buses.

"I want to see the road transportation sector implement a similarly effective system as is used for air transportation, where people can easily book tickets in a more integrated way, on one platform," Budi said.