The Role of Vessel Traffic Services in Traffic Separation Scheme

Abstract

The transportation of goods, passenger and livestock by sea is growing rapidly and rise a need for safety, security and environment protection. Now Indonesia is in the process of implementing E-Navigation. But since E-Navigation is complex and need a lot of system interoperability, then Indonesia may start the implementation by introducing VTS (Vessel Traffic Services) as a system designed to achieve the highest level of safety at sea, increase fleet efficiency and simplify everyday tasks both ashore and on board and therefore the operations are processed seamlessly, the compliance is guaranteed and the workload and costs are optimized. The VTS is not only for vessel traffic management but it also for harbour cluster and integrating communication system among stake holders on ships and on shore. But VTS plays a very important role in maintaining safety of navigation and efficiency as well as environment protection in traffic separation schemes. Nowadays, the next generation of VTS so-called smart VTS is capable to monitor (collect and process the data, create common operational picture, distribute data to clients), alerting (analyse traffic, detect dangerous traffic situations, and increase situation awareness), and respond (active decision support services and ensure ship to shore communications). The respond, however, is similar with the smart marine technology that may reduce human error significantly. Indonesia hopefully will implement the 16 kinds of MS (maritime services) portfolio with smart VTS especially in maintaining safety, security, efficiency and environment protection in traffic separation schemes.