The technology breakthrough that Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) has brought to modern navigation has the capability to improve the safety of navigation. This could be achieved only when the capabilities of the system are known by an end-user. Cross Track Limit (XTL) is an ECDIS safety parameter, set by the navigator, which enhances the navigational task automation in the function of workload reduction. Determination of factors affecting the value of XTL safety parameter, with special consideration to chart data reliability, is elaborated in this paper. Chart data reliability depends on the quality of chart survey data, which in many cases are outdated and unreliable. Analysis of past research on this subject is used to define the factors affecting XTL. Practices of different shipping companies with regards to XTL are analyzed and compared in order to confirm if there is a uniform practice between them. Nevertheless, shipping companies have a different or no practice of obtaining XTL, which allows the navigator to define safety parameters by a subjective opinion. In this paper, method of XTL determination for a specific vessel is suggested, considering previously defined factors. Finally, crucial influence of survey data to the safety of navigation is presented in this study.
25 September 2020 in Journal of Transportation Security
Carbon emissions generated by the transportation sector represent a large part of total greenhouse gas emissions and are thus subject to various policies and initiatives for emission reduction and the development of sustainable transportation networks. Furthermore, passenger transportation generates a significant amount of emissions within this sector, especially in those countries with large and developed tourist sectors. Examples of such countries are Italy and Croatia, located in the Adriatic region, with a large portion of passengers between them being transported utilizing mainly maritime and/or road transportation modes. A proper analysis of the impact of these transportation mode choices on carbon emissions is essential to enable the selection of the optimal transportation mode for the particular transportation route with respect to the generated emissions. Therefore, this study determines the carbon emissions of the maritime and/or road transportation modes on the existing cross-border passenger transportation routes between Italy and Croatia. For the analysis, the Adriatic region was divided into three sections—the Northern, Middle, and Southern regions—each characterized by specific transportation routes defined by geographical features and distances. The results obtained from this research are presented as total carbon emissions for each transportation mode separately, based on each of three chosen routes in different regions. In addition, a carbon emission comparison between each transportation mode in regard to occupancy rate is performed and presented separately for each chosen route based on its specific distances, transportation means, and features. Finally, by providing an analysis of the existing state, this study can serve as a basis for Italy–Croatia cross-border passenger mobility network modernization and the introduction of new, sustainable, and multimodal transportation routes.
The global maritime digitalization reflects on navigation and paperless vessels with Paper Navigational Charts (PNC) nowadays superseded by Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS). Considering the system implementation and its acceptance as a sole navigational means, opinions of navigators differ. Although the ECDIS mandatory implementation ended in 2018, some navigators have been still favouring PNCs, pointing out their advantages over ECDIS navigation. These standpoints may have an impact on the safety of navigation in terms of acceptance, interpretation, and understanding of the system as well as on conflict of standpoints of decisive navigational ranks, the latter reason being found as one of the real problems. The presented study has focused on a specific period, soon after the transitional period completion, aiming to determine the views of traditional navigation advocates, their arguments in the present maritime navigation paperless era and to identify potential problems emerging from the conflict of two navigational means. The research has induced two independent, internationally distributed questionnaires, dedicated to navigational ranks. The first survey has referred to the period from 2012 to 2018, marking the transition to ECDIS navigation. The second survey was conducted after the implementation period completion date. The answers were analysed and discussed from the navigational ranks’ perspective, considering their competitiveness and the level of ECDIS education. The research results have indicated and confirmed that PNCs could not entirely be ruled out, at least at this stage. Besides definitive questionnaire answers, the findings have been supported with categorised comments as interpreted from the first survey questionnaire results. The paper aims to present the future of the PNCs, including possibilities of fusion with modern means. The proposed suggestions have been directed towards the benefits of maritime navigation safety, referring especially to disagreement between navigational ranks in terms of particular means acceptance.