JAKARTA INDONESIA (ISL News) – The Ministry of Transportation through the Directorate General of Sea Transportation and PT Pelabuhan Indonesia (Persero) or Pelindo signed a Joint Understanding on Preparation for the Implementation of Electronic Pilotage (E-Pilotage) and/or Remote Pilotage in Mandatory Pilotage Waters where ship pilotage and towing services are carried out based on delegation within the PT Pelindo (Persero) environment, in Jakarta, Thursday (23/7/2026).
This collaboration is the first step in modernizing national ship pilotage services and an effort to mitigate the risk of pilot fatigue in waters with long distances and travel times.
Director General of Sea Transportation (Ditjen HUBLA-Red), Muhammad Masyhud, said that ship pilotage is a key service to ensure the safety and smooth flow of ship traffic in pilotage-required waters.
So far, according to the Minister of Transportation Regulation (PM) Number 57 of 2015 concerning Ship Guidance and Towing, pilotage must be carried out physically by pilot officers on board the ship.
"In a number of waters requiring pilotage, characterized by long distances and long pilotage times, carrying out physical pilotage (onboard) alone can pose a risk of fatigue for pilotage personnel, which in turn has the potential to affect the safety of the voyage itself," Masyhud said in his remarks.
He explained that the Ministry of Transportation has opened up opportunities for electronic pilotage through Ministerial Regulation No. 4 of 2023 concerning the Implementation of Telecommunications-Shipping and Vessel Traffic Management Services in Waters. Hybrid schemes combining physical and non-physical pilotage are also possible, provided they undergo a review and follow established procedures.
"The Joint Understanding we signed today is not merely an administrative document, but a concrete manifestation of our shared commitment to strengthening shipping safety, increasing the efficiency of pilotage operations, and encouraging digital transformation in the national port sector," Masyhud said.
Four Trial Locations
Through this Joint Understanding, the Directorate General of Sea Transportation and Pelindo will collaborate in four main areas, namely the implementation of risk studies and other supporting studies, evaluation of infrastructure and technology readiness along with the implementation of trials (pilot projects), preparation of a regulatory framework and proposed guidelines for the implementation of e-pilotage, as well as the preparation of training modules and certification of human resources for ship pilotage.
As an initial stage, trials will be conducted in four priority locations, namely Tanjung Perak, Banjarmasin, Belawan, and Samarinda, with the possibility of expanding to other mandatory pilotage waters according to evaluation results and field needs.
"Risk assessments must be conducted in-depth, trials must be evaluated objectively, and each stage of e-pilotage and remote pilotage implementation must be fully prepared in terms of regulations, infrastructure, technology, and human resources before concrete and massive implementation," Masyhud emphasized.
On the same occasion, the President Director of PT Pelindo, Achmad Muchtasyar, revealed that e-pilotage is an innovation that can strengthen current pilotage services, especially in responding to future operational challenges while still prioritizing safety aspects and compliance with regulations.
He hopes this collaboration will be a good first step in strengthening the synergy between the Ministry of Transportation and Pelindo in providing e-pilotage services as part of the transformation of pilotage services to be more modern and adaptive.
"We express our appreciation to the Ministry of Transportation, particularly the Directorate General of Sea Transportation, for their support and shared vision, enabling the swift implementation of e-pilotage," concluded Achmad Muchtasyar.
(ISL News Editorial Team/AD/ETJ/HJ/Sea Transportation).
