EQUIPMENT

PLA seeks equipment supplier

20 years ago

The PLA is responsible for all traffic on the tidal Thames as far as Teddington Lock to the West London. To date, smaller vessels have been exempt from mandatory Automatic Identification System carriage, although this will all change as from June 1, 2007.

As from then, all commercial vessels heavier than 50 gross tons or carrying more than 12 passengers will be required to have an on board AIS transmitter and also a laptop providing a geographical display of all other AIS-equipped vessels on the river.

Passenger vessels must also transmit via the AIS the exact number of passengers on board to help if search and rescue mission services are summoned.

A trial version of Thames AIS equipment is already in operation on the Tilbury ferry, but Barry Goldman, the PLA’s VTS manager, is particularly interested in hearing from any equipment suppliers who might be interested in providing a solution that meets the project specification.

“About 160 vessels will be required to carry Thames AIS and London VTS may be receiving a signal from up to a 100 of them at any one time on a busy summer’s day, ” he says.