Abu Dhabi Ports Company (ADPC), says it has recently been accredited by the National Transport Authority (NTA) to conduct IALA model courses for Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) operators at its dedicated training center, making it the first maritime educational institute in the Gulf Region to offer this NTA approved training.
"Being accredited to teach IALA training courses is a further example of our best practices", says Mohammed Juma Al Shamisi, Acting CEO, ADPC. "As a developer, manager and operator of ports, we want to guarantee safety at sea, and operating the VTS system in line with international maritime standards is of utmost importance."
Six VTS operators now successfully completed the first conducted IALA model course V-103/1 which was held over the period of three weeks at ADPC's state-of-the-art training facilities in Musaffah.
The course was led by Captain Alan G Liversedge, a specialist in Vessel Traffic Services with more than 20 years of experience in the maritime industry, and it emphasized global, standardized VTS communication procedures and their legal framework.
ADPC explains that the VTS system is installed in control towers at ports all over the world in order to control and organize marine traffic. It collects traffic data via various monitoring and communication systems, such as radar, close-circuit television (CCTV), or radiotelephony.