Vessel Traffic Services: Monitoring and information at port approaches

A Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) is a shore-based service that supports vessel traffic in a defined area. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) describes a range of services, from basic traffic information to comprehensive traffic management in a port or waterway. Whether a VTS is established depends on traffic volume and risk.

Information and traffic overview

A VTS can provide timely information about other vessel traffic, weather hazards or navigational warnings. Depending on the area, the control centre also monitors and organises traffic flow. If an incident is imminent, it can contact a vessel directly; in regulated traffic areas, it may provide instructions on proceeding. The scope therefore varies: it depends on the designated VTS area, its risk profile and the services offered there.

Traffic support does not replace the responsibility of the vessel’s command. The IMO expressly states that decisions about navigation and manoeuvring remain with the master. A VTS should therefore be distinguished from the direct command of a vessel and from pilotage services.

Difference from Local Port Service

In the United Kingdom, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) provides for Local Port Services (LPS) at ports where a formal risk assessment deems a VTS disproportionate or unsuitable. An LPS circulates port information and supports the coordination of port services. Unlike a VTS, it is not required to maintain a continuous traffic picture or to be capable of responding to developing traffic situations. LPS is therefore a differently scaled type of service, not merely an alternative name for VTS.

Area and responsibility

The published VTS area defines which reports are expected and what information the service provides. For navigation, the nautical publications for the specific area and the responsibility of the vessel’s command remain decisive.