In 2001, the Port Authority thought of designing an Integral Management System for the Port of Vigo. This project, conceived as a very ambitious “whole”, materialised in a group of telematics infrastructures and the necessary equipments to optimise the integral management of the Port’s exploitation and protection. The final aim of this project lies on the new information technologies to develop services that reduce costs, maximise port’s infrastructures use, achieve excellence in management and increase real-time information availability to take decisions.

In the same sense, the Port of Vigo founded a modern Control Centre, located in the Passenger Terminal, to centralise the surveillance of the whole Port and the actions to follow in case of activation of a Protection Plan, an Interior Emergency Plan or a Contingency Plan.

Concerning gate access control, a modern automatised system has been introduced, run by the same software as the CCTV, both to control car and pedestrian access.

The control of vehicles has been considered a priority, allowing that only authorised personnel can enter the Port. An automatic system to read car plates was considered the best option to ease circulation. Drivers of authorised vehicles will notice how the barrier lifts when they approach the access control point as the system recognises the car plate. The rest of visiting vehicles could only enter the Port with the Port Police permission and following, in any case, the instructions they may be given.

Regarding pedestrian access, the authorised personnel has a RFID card to enter the Port. Interphones have also been installed on entrances to solve any possible inconvenience. Nowadays, the Port Authority has decided to provide the Port’s main users with RFID cards after checking their identifications.

Physical description of the Access Control System
The extremely lineal character of our port makes the design and physical configuration of the access control system rather complex. Multiple control points are needed to guarantee an effective control without interfering with the port exploitation and, particularly, with the traffic of special goods.

GUIXAR (Access to Guixar - Arenal - Transversal - Comercio)

Road Access

A new entrance to the commercial docks of Guixar, Arenal, Transversal and Comercio has been shaped. It is supported by a two-floor building to host the Port Police facilities, in charge of the access control, and the Guardia Civil, in charge of the exit control.
The operative post of the Port Police is equipped with a computer programme configured alike the Control Centre, nowadays in charge of managing the whole Integral Management System of the Port.

This access consists of two entry and two exit ways (17 m long and 3,40 m wide) with an automatic system to read car plates and open the barriers. The system is composed of the following elements for every way:

•  a barrier 2.5 m long
• 2 semaphores: first 13m away from the barrier, the next one metre before
• 1 camera to read car plates by taking pictures of the front part of the vehicles
• 1 global vision camera in the semaphore post
• 1 interphone: to communicate with Guixar Access Control Point, the Control Centre and the Port Police authorities in charge (It consists of 2 microphones and 2 loudspeakers located at different heights for cars and trucks)
• 2 photocells: to detect the vehicle and control the barrier fall
• 3 induction loops under the asphalt to detect the vehicle and let the barrier get opened once it has been authorised by the system.

Pedestrian access to the Comercio dock

A turnstile has been designed as the only pedestrian access for this port area. It is equipped with a camera for the authorised personnel identification and managed mainly from the Control Centre. There are also two card readers working with the mentioned RFID technology and an interphone system to communicate with the Control Centre as described above.

Large gates
This area has been equipped with large gates, monitored and manipulated from the SIG or from any Port Police computer to permit the entrance of special pieces and also work as an emergency exit.

Passenger liners/Liners quay
Considering the works being carried out in this area and its future restructuring, automatic access controls have not been installed yet. Nevertheless, there is a Control Point to check the vehicles entering this quay.

Berbés- Beiramar
The fishing Port and Beiramar have been equipped with automatic control points for vehicles and turnstiles for pedestrians, with analogue characteristics.

Bouzas
In Bouzas port area, there are two main control points:

• one at the entrance of the Ferries Terminal and the “Tax-Free Area”
• another to enter the Repair dock, again with analogue characteristics.

Access Map