The Port of Cork Company has announced the recent introduction of a new €750,000 automated gate operating system for its Tivoli container terminal. The new system will help support terminal efficiency and modernise the container collection and delivery process at the busy marine terminal and it is the first of its kind to be introduced in Ireland. An integrated IT access management system has been implemented that will improve transactions for hauliers at the terminal gate. The new gate operating system replaces the former gate-in and gate-out procedure, which operated for many years at the terminal, and is the culmination of a five year objective. Included in the process was a joint collaboration between the Port of Cork and Customs and Revenue to establish a customs clearance verification system. The new gate operating system will record important data for all deliveries and collections at the terminal, including license plates, container details, container damages and security seal presence. It utilises modern technologies and industry practices observed at terminals operating in mainland Europe. In the event of any difficulty, the system contains a problem resolution area where any potential issues encountered by the haulier can be addressed prior to containers being delivered or collected. Only those trucks that have been processed correctly can enter the container terminal gate and the loading/unloading area, which improves flow at the busy interface. The new gate check-in area is monitored by a central control station and can also assist hauliers as required. “Ports and terminals are dynamic environments with very specific needs and the Port of Cork Company prides itself on being at the forefront of the industry when it comes to adapting to change and in consistently achieving the highest operational standards,” said Olan O’Keeffe, terminal operations manager, Port of Cork. “The introduction of this modern gate operating system will assist in improving terminal turnaround times, increase our throughput capacity, improve efficiency, drive revenue, integrate with customs systems and provide us with important management reporting data such as how many trucks visited the terminal during a particular day, week or month and how long trucks stayed at the terminal on average. Image recording will also assist us in claims management,” he added.