Port Setu, uses
automatic number plate recognition, optical character recognition and RFID readers, linked to the customs ICEGATE platform. It records the time
each trailer takes to travel from a container freight station (CFS) to the port. The system, developed by the Chennai
chapter of the National Association of
Container Freight Stations (NACFS), went live on September 17 and was
formally launched on Wednesday. It forms the first phase of an Intelligent
Vehicle Monitoring System (IVMS) being implemented under the central
government’s One Nation One Port Process (ONOP) initiative to standardise and
digitise procedures across Indian ports.
For the freight stations, the main promise is more efficient use of
trucks. Port Setu gives them real-time visibility of trailer arrivals at the
port. The authority expects this to cut turnaround times and allow one extra
round trip for every six made. The
next phase is expected to take the system closer to a paperless port gate. Under
Phase 2 of the IVMS, the container terminals will digitise the verification of
seal intactness, a release stated.
Shri
Sachin S Kurve, Chairperson of Chennai Port Authority, said the system
would provide greater visibility of container movement and help CFSs optimise
trailer management.