The Chennai Port Authority (ChPA) has launched Port Setu, a digital system designed to track export containers transported by road between inland warehouses and the port gate.
Developed by the Chennai chapter of the National Association of Container Freight Stations (NACFS), Port Setu went live on September 17 and was formally launched earlier this week.
Port Setu integrates container tracking and verification
Port Setu is the first phase of the Intelligent Vehicle Monitoring System (IVMS), being implemented under the Centre’s One Nation One Port Process (ONOP) initiative to streamline and digitise procedures across Indian ports.
The system records the time taken by vehicles to transport containers from container freight stations (CFSs) to the port. It uses Automatic Number Plate Recognition, Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and RFID readers, with the systems linked to Chennai Customs’ ICEGATE platform.
The system is intended to improve container tracking and enable an additional round trip for every six trips. It also digitises the verification process and provides a common platform for Chennai Customs, ChPA and CFSs to monitor container handling.
Phase two to digitise terminal processes
Container terminals at Chennai Port will implement the second phase of IVMS. This phase will cover processes including verification that container seals remain intact.
ChPA said gate-entry procedures at Chennai Port are expected to become completely digital and paperless once the second phase is implemented.
Chennai container terminal records decade-high throughput
The Port Setu launch follows a record month for Chennai Container Terminal Private Limited (CCTPL).
In September, CCTPL handled 89,743 TEUs across 36 vessels, marking its highest monthly container throughput in a decade.
