Maritime transport management in Kuwait toward an automated port logistical city
Sharaf AlKheder, Dana Naif, Dana Musaed, Shoug Al Shrekah, Munira Al Rshaid, Nada Al. Anzi, Isra'a Baqer
Abstract
Maritime transport is the second source of income in Kuwait. The unorganized mechanism of truck traffic flow had caused severe congestion and increased the waiting time of containers transporting trucks both inside and outside the port. Also, the insufficiency of the container storage area had contributed to the reduction in the ship traffic and the unavailability of area for the basic infrastructure needed to accommodate and store the overstocked shipments inside the port. The objective of this study was to set the cornerstone of 2035 vision of a fully automated Kuwaiti Port. An automated Smart Gate was used to reduce the time required for both the passage of cargo and customs inspection. A LEED-certified warehouse was designed that earned 75 points scoring a gold certificate. A smart gate operating system by Camco Group was used to provide a smart portal that integrates the functions of both the port and customs administration. This will make it easier for the port customers and truck drivers to facilitate entry and exit procedures. Vissim was used to simulate, analyze, and compare the current and future logistical operations in Shuwaikh Port under different scenarios. The future operation scenario had decreased the average time a truck took to finish a route to 40%.