Optimal Staffing for Vessel Traffic Service Operators: A Case Study of Yeosu VTS

Vessel traffic volume and vessel traffic service (VTS) operator workloads are increasing with the expansion of global maritime trade, contributing to marine accidents by causing difficulties in providing timely services. Therefore, it is essential to have sufficient VTS operators considering the vessel traffic volume and near-miss cases. However, no quantitative method for determining the optimal number of workstations, which is necessary for calculating the VTS operator staffing level, has yet been proposed. This paper proposes a new, microscopic approach for calculating the number of workstations from vessel trajectories and voice recording communication data between VTS operators and navigators. The vessel trajectory data are preprocessed to interpolate different intervals. The proposed method consists of three modules: Information services, navigational assistance services, and traffic organization service. The developed model was applied to the Yeosu VTS in Korea. Another workstation should be added to the current workstation based on the proposed method. The results showed that even without annual statistical data, a reasonable VTS operator staffing level could be calculated. The proposed approach helps prevent vessel accidents by providing timely services even if the vessel traffic is congested if VTS operators are deployed to a sufficient number of workstations.