Newly Computerized System for Seamless Management of Enrolment and Access in the Port of Taranto

Abstract

Within the MEDNET project “Mediterranean Network for Custom Procedures and Simplification of Clearance in Ports” funded by the MED programme (2007–2013), Taranto Port Authority (TPA) in Italy has designed and developed newly automatic system (prototype) for an effective and seamless management of port operators enrolment and access in the port area.Taranto Port Authority developed and tested an effective Information Technologies (IT) based on a multi-user management tool with a single interface for all port operators. The interface is based on functionalities coming from the integration and re-engineering of two different procedures managed by TPA: 1) enrolment in the TPA's Register foreseen in art. 68 of the Italian Navigation Law, mandatory for all private companies and individuals operating in the port; 2) the procedure of issuing of passes for vehicles and people to enter in the port area.The scope of this initiative was to re-engineer the two aforementioned procedures into a single IT based procedure with a single management interface. It enables to accelerate the process for passes release as well as to improve port accessibility by reducing the number of potential errors and transforming the nature of the procedure from “preventive” to “fact-finding”. In this way, the port community of Taranto will be able to provide relevant services in less time. The prototype is able to speed up the issuing of passes for persons and vehicles entering in the port area by reducing the time needed to check documents provided by companies as well as informing relevant authorities.The developed prototype enables to automatically manage different categories of passes for entering in the port of Taranto: annual passes, provisional passes as well as visitors passes.The combined effect of the new local regulation (TPA's Ordinance no. 04/14 of April 28th 2014) and the prototype enables to issue passes in 7–8 days against the previous 60 days required to complete (annual) pass request procedure. The benefits in terms of time saving have been also achieved for the other categories of passes (provisional and visitors).The prototype leads to seamless procedures management as well as to simplification of checks in entering in the port area. Streamlining procedures enables not only a reduction in terms of needed time for regular control of requests, but also a real-time control of the handled requests in parallel with the traditional ways (paper protocols). Taranto Port Authority as well as the other competent bodies are now able to check each single person and vehicle accessing in the port of Taranto, improving actual procedure and related controls, through an efficient check-in/check-out reporting. Seamless administrative formalities related of both companies’ enrolment and passes requests enable to reach an overall improvement of port accessibility and transit of vehicles and goods in the area, positively affecting its competiveness as well as quality of provided added-value services.The prototype is able to significantly reduce relevant administrative and bureaucratic aspects. Simplification of the procedures is expected to positively influence the door-to-door transport time and costs for business accessing and circulating in the port area and beyond.