Ports of Stockholm is one of the busiest passenger ports in the world, and among the largest freight ports in northern Europe. The port plays a key role in trading and traveling in the Baltic Sea region, as every year over 16 million passengers and 9 million metric tons of goods pass through its sites (Stockholm, Nynäshamn, Kapellskär, and Norvik). The port provides services for large container ships, RoRo vessels, and ferry traffic.
In 2016, Visy was selected to provide a smart gate system environment for Ports of Stockholm’s terminals. Since then, the system has been rolled out to all four sites. Visy Access Gate access control system with license plate recognition automates the management and tracking of people and vehicles, such as passenger cars, buses, trucks, and trailers that pass through the terminals.
Aims of the project
By investing into a smart gate system, Ports of Stockholm wanted to modernize access control while looking for new opportunities to develop their business and provide better customer service. As an access management solution provider with a proven track record of delivering high-quality smart gate environments, Visy enthusiastically took on the challenge.
Key system requirements were
Comprehensive access control (for example, to prevent unauthorized vehicles entering the line-up area)
Smooth traffic management and guidance (barriers, traffic lights, etc.)
License plate recognition supporting multiple nationalities
High-quality imaging
Vehicle measurement information (length, height, width)
Streamlined data exchange with the port’s Terminal Operating System (TOS)
Port of Kapellskär (Photo credit: Ports of Stockholm)
Digitalization of data ensures smooth operation
At terminal entry and exit points each vehicle is imaged and recognized, and Visy Measurement Portals capture exact dimension measurements. High-quality images are saved in the system database, for example for damage inspection purposes. The Visy Access Gate system documents the exact start and end time of each visit and shares the information with the TOS.
To achieve full advantage of the smart gate environment, Visy’s software team tailored the necessary integrations and interfacing to the existing system network. Through integration between Visy Access Gate and the customer’s custom-made TOS by Trebor, the systems exchange and compare data, for example, pre-provided booking details and the vehicle information captured by Visy Access Gate. This ensures that the information is correct and all entering vehicles and containers are permitted to access the premises.
Improved service and increased revenue
The Visy Access Gate ecosystem enables Ports of Stockholm to save time and money by optimizing loading and unloading operations and by avoiding bottlenecks and congestion. Streamlined transactions at entry and exit points reduce turn-around time for trucks, improving the overall visit experience in the terminals and allow for a greater number of transactions during each shift.
In addition to cutting operational costs, the new smart gate environment has brought Ports of Stockholm a way to increase revenue. After implementing Visy Access Gate, Ports of Stockholm was able to establish collecting parking fees from transportation companies for units that are parked for longer periods, by referring the length of the visit within the terminals.
