Port accessThe Port Authority of Bilbao, in collaboration with the Department of Infrastructure and Territorial Development of the Provincial Council of Bizkaia, has launched a pilot project to develop and roll out the technological infrastructure required to provide a series of services to improve the transport of goods by road in and around the Port of Bilbao.
The main objective of the project is to test, validate and demonstrate an innovative solution using the e-puertobilbao digital platform of the Port Authority of Bilbao, and to take advantage of state-of-the-art technology in the field of the connected car using the Bizkaia Connected Corridor (BCC) initiative promoted by the Department of Infrastructure and Territorial Development. The project focuses on integrating pre-notification services for access to the port area and improving coordination on the roads of the Provincial Council of Bizkaia.
“This innovative project, jointly being taken forward with the Port Authority of Bilbao, marks a significant step towards a smarter and more connected future for our road and port infrastructure. By integrating state-of-the-art technology into the Bizkaia Connected Corridor, we are not only improving efficiency and safety on our roads, but also raising sustainability levels. This joint effort reflects our commitment to innovation and continuous improvement, and lays the foundations for a smarter, more responsive and efficient traffic and freight management system”, explained Imanol Pradales.
Ricardo Barkala, President of the Port Authority, highlighted that “we have just celebrated 20 years of the e-platform of the Port of Bilbao, a period in which e-puertobilbao has consolidated its position as a reference platform among European ports. Now is the time to take further steps towards becoming a more digitised, faster, safer and more sustainable port, attributes which will further the competitiveness of our customers when exporting or importing their products. And this, in collaboration with the Provincial Council, is one of those steps we are going to take in our joint efforts to continue championing and promoting innovation, with the same unequivocal commitment to public service. In doing so, we will move towards an increasingly automated Bizkaia and port for the benefit of our economic fabric, by providing them with information that will save them time and money”.
The key services planned to be provided and rolled out through this project are:
- To include port of Bilbao access roads and entry gates within the C-ITS services associated with the BCC of the Provincial Council of Bizkaia.
- To develop and roll out a real time monitoring system for hauliers en route to the port of Bilbao. This system will make it possible to anticipate the level of occupation of the port and generate warnings to avoid long waiting times.
- To providing hauliers with the possibility to modify their entry record en route, enabling them to optimise their productivity and better adapt to real-time travel conditions.
- To work on optimising the management of the access periods to the port of Bilbao, with a view to improving service provision for both hauliers and shippers.
The system is based on setting up road side units (RSUs) and equipping the fleet of vehicles that regularly enter the port with digital tools. Data emitted by the vehicles are then captured and aggregated by the RSUs and transmitted to the Control Centre of the Provincial Council of Bizkaia to be analysed and processed. Where appropriate, alerts and/or news messages may subsequently be sent out to all the vehicles.
Innovation on the roads of Bizkaia
This project is part of the Bizkaia Road Infrastructure Innovation Plan 2020-2023, through which the Department of Infrastructure and Territorial Development has been working on a series of challenges related to digitalisation and improvements for road users.
One of the projects within the plan is the Bizkaia Connected Corridor (BCC), a public-private initiative for the testing, demonstration and validation of all kinds of technologies related to cooperative, connected and autonomous mobility and smart and digital infrastructure in a real scenario (in this case, the roads of Bizkaia).
Within the scope of the BCC, the Provincial Council of Bizkaia is looking to introduce and develop a technology that enables communication between vehicles and the infrastructure manager, such that data and messages about traffic and other incidents on the road can be exchanged in real time.
