Pulse.Assent

Pioneering work led by Highways England to transform journeys on the country’s busiest routes with innovative technology allowing vehicles and the roads to ‘talk’ to each other has been showcased to an international audience.

A high-tech ‘corridor’ is being created on the A2/M2 in Kent to let specially-equipped vehicles interact with roadside infrastructure in a move which promises safer, more reliable journeys and speedier maintenance, to reduce delays.

Highways England, the Department for Transport, Kent County Council and Transport for London are at the forefront of this pioneering activity and have staged a ‘TESTFEST’ showcasing to an international audience progress to date.

The week-long event has attracted more than 60 people from the automobile world to allow them to understand the technology and see how it could be used in the construction of future vehicle designs.

Highways England Head of Intelligent Transport Systems Group Jo White said:

Connecting vehicles to each other and the road around can improve journeys, make them safer and give drivers reliable, real-time personalised information; it could also help us manage traffic and respond to incidents. We’re supporting the Government’s aim to be world leading in the development of connected and autonomous vehicles (CAV). The TESTFEST is a vital part of that, because it means the initiatives we take forward and the vehicles being developed all align so drivers continue to have safe journeys in the future.

The project on sections of the A2 and M2 is testing how information about road conditions, road works and time left for traffic lights to change to green can be transmitted to test vehicles via a wireless network.

Providing drivers and fleet managers with the information and tools to make real-time decisions has the potential to quickly improve traffic flow along the corridor. It also has the potential to improve safety by providing more information about traffic conditions ahead.

Displaying the information on screens inside vehicles reduces the likelihood of drivers missing information displayed on roadside signs, ending the problem of obscured signs caused by vegetation or when passing other vehicles.

For example, a sign may appear for a lane closure in place because of an accident or debris ahead. Keeping the lane clear gives the emergency services the access they need to help. Providing this information in a vehicle will help reduce drivers accidently driving in a closed lane, improving safety for everyone.

Roads Minister Jesse Norman said:

Between 2015 and 2020, the Government is planning to invest over £20 billion on improving and extending the UK’s road network, helping businesses, individuals and families alike.

New technologies are increasingly playing a central role in this process of transformation, and connected and autonomous vehicles could be worth tens of billions of pounds to the UK economy by 2035. This exciting project showcases some of the emerging technologies involved.

Transport for London Director of Network Management, Glynn Barton, said:

These first live tests of connecting vehicles to our road systems and infrastructure have been an exciting opportunity for us to explore the possibilities for the future. It’s only through these events that we can understand the opportunities, risks and challenges that we face in operating transport networks in the coming years. Working closely with Highways England, Kent County Council and the Department for Transport on the A2/M2 connected corridor project means we can understand the potential ‎benefits of this technology for both road users and Transport for London.

The A2/M2 Connected Corridor is a joint project between the Department for Transport, Highways England, Transport for London and Kent County Council. It is part of InterCor, an EU project that aims to test services that work across borders, connecting the UK to the Netherlands, France and Belgium. The project started in 2016 and is due to be completed in 2019.

General enquiries

Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.

Media enquiries

Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.

During September, there were two new detentions of foreign flagged vessels in a UK port, three vessels remained under detention from previous months. A total of three vessels remain under detention at the end of September.

1. In response to one of the recommendations of Lord Donaldson’s inquiry into the prevention of pollution from merchant shipping, and in compliance with the EU Directive on Port State Control (2009/16/EC as amended), the Maritime and Coastguard agency (MCA) publishes details of the foreign flagged vessels detained in UK ports each month.
2. The UK is part of a regional agreement on port state control known as the Paris Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control (Paris MOU) and information on all ships that are inspected is held centrally in an electronic database known as THETIS. This allows the ships with a high risk rating and poor detention records to be targeted for future inspection.
3. Inspections of foreign flagged ships in UK ports are undertaken by surveyors from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. When a ship is found to be not in compliance with applicable convention requirements, a deficiency may be raised. If any of their deficiencies are so serious they have to be rectified before departure, then the ship will be detained.
4. All deficiencies should be rectified before departure if at all possible.
5. When applicable, the list includes those passenger craft prevented from operating under the provisions of the EU Directive on Mandatory Surveys for the safe operation of regular Ro-Ro ferry and high speed passenger craft services (1999/35/EU).

Notes on the list of detentions

• Full details of the ship.
  The accompanying detention list shows ship’s International Maritime Organization (IMO) number which is unchanging throughout the ship’s life and uniquely identifies it. It also shows the ship’s name and flag state at the time of its inspection.
• Company.
  The company shown in the vessel’s Safety Management Certificate (SMC) or if there is no SMC, then the party otherwise believed to be responsible for the safety of the ship at the time of inspection.
• Classification Society.
  The list shows the Classification Society responsible for classing the ship only.
• Recognised Organisation.
  Responsible for conducting the statutory surveys: and issuing statutory certificates on behalf of the Flag State
• White (WL), Grey (GL) and Black lists (BL) are issued by the Paris MoU on 01 July each year and shows the performance of flag State.

SHIPS DETAINED IN SEPTEMBER 2018

Vessel Name: DEEP CYGNUS

GT: 9423

IMO: 9479541

Flag: Norway (White list)

Company: Volstad Management AS

Classification Society: DNVL-GL

Recognised Organisation: DNV-GL

Recognised Organisation for ISM Doc: DNV-GL

Recognised Organisation for ISM SMC: DNV-GL

Date and Place of Detention: 2nd September 2018 at Peterhead

Summary: Seven deficiencies with five grounds for detention

Defective item	Nature of defect	Ground for Detention
07110 – Fire Fighting equipment and appliances	Missing	Yes
18432 – Risk evaluation, training and instructions to seafarers	Missing	No
01126 – Document of compliance Dangerous Goods	Missing	Yes
01135 – Document of carriage of Dangerous Goods	Missing	Yes
04109 – Fire drills	Lack of training	No
12108 – Personal protection	Missing	Yes
12112 – Dangerous goods/harmful substances in pack form	Lack of familiarity	Yes

This vessel was released on 4th September 2018

Vessel Name: VON ADLER

GT: 2469

IMO: 9184433

Flag: Cook Islands (Black list)

Company: Nismar Shipping Ltd

Classification Society: BV

Recognised Organisation: NA

Recognised Organisation for ISM Doc: NA

Recognised Organisation for ISM SMC: NA

Date and Place of Detention: 26th September 2018 at Ipswich

Summary: Sixteen deficiencies with four grounds for detention

Defective item	Nature of defect	Ground for Detention
10106 – Compass correction log	Not as required	No
05107 – Maintenance/duplication of equipment	Not as required	No
10105 – Magnetic compass	Not as required	No
10127 – Voyage or passage plan	Missing	Yes
10103 – Radar	Insufficient	No
10111 – Charts	Not updated	Yes
10119 – Rudder angle indicator	Inoperative	No
10135 – Monitoring of voyage or passage plan	Not as required	Yes
07110 – Fire fighting equipment and appliances	Not as required	No
15150 – ISM	Not as required	Yes
16101 – Security related defects	Not as required	No
02107 – Ballast, fuel and other tanks	Not as required	No
11117 – Lifebuoys incl. provisions and disposition	Not as required	No
07199 – Other (fire safety)	Other	Yes
11131 – Onboard training and instructions	Missing instructions	No
02105 – Steering gear	Not as required	No

This vessel was released on 28th September 2018

DETENTIONS CARRIED OVER FROM PREVIOUS MONTHS

Vessel Name: POSEIDON

GT: 1412

IMO: 7363217

Flag: Iceland (White list)

Company: Neptune EHF

Classification Society: NA

Recognised Organisation: NA

Recognised Organisation for ISM Doc: DNV-GL

Recognised Organisation for ISM SMC: DNV-GL

Date and Place of Detention: 19th July 2018 at Hull

Summary: Ten deficiencies with two grounds for detention

Defective item	Nature of defect	Ground for Detention
01199 – Other certificates	Other	No
01218 – Medical	Incorrect language	No
02106 – Hull damage impairing seaworthiness	Holed	Yes
07113 – Fire Pumps	Insufficient Pressure	Yes
07103 – Divisions – Decks, bulkheads and penetrations	Not as required	No
12107 – Ballast, fuel and other tanks	Not as required	No
07105 – Fire doors/openings in fire resisting divisions	Not as required	No
01101 – Cargo Ship Safety Equipment (including exemption)	Missing	No
01102 – Cargo Ship Safety Construction (including exemption)	Missing	No
01104 – Cargo Ship Safety Radio (including exemption)	Missing	No

This vessel was still detained on 30th September 2018

Vessel Name: TECOIL POLARIS

GT: 1814

IMO No: 8883290

Flag: Russian Federation (Grey list)

Company: Tecoil Shipping Ltd

Classification Society: RMRS

Recognised Organisation: RMRS

Recognised Organisation for ISM DOC: RMRS

Recognised Organisation for ISM SMC: RMRS

Date and Place of Detention: 6th June 2018 at Immingham

Summary: Twenty-Seven deficiencies with eight grounds for detentions

Defective item	Nature of defect	Ground for Detention
01123 – Continuous synopsis record	Entries missing	No
01218 – Medical certificate	Missing	No
01320 – Garbage record book	Incorrect	No
01308 – Record of seafarers’ daily hours of work or rest	False	No
04110 – Abandon ship drill	Insufficient frequency	No
10105 – Magnetic compass	Inoperative	Yes
10128 – Navigation bridge visibility	Not as required	No
10104 – Gyro compass	Inoperative	Yes
11122 – Radio life-saving appliances	Inoperative	No
11129 – Operational readiness of lifesaving appliances	Not as required	Yes
04109 – Fire drills	Lack of communication	No
10127 – Voyage or passage plan	Not as required	Yes
10123 – International code of signals – SOLAS	Missing	No
15150 – ISM	Not as required	Yes
05110 – Facilities for reception of marine safety inform.	Not as required	No
05199 – Other (radiocommunication)	Other	No
11104 – Rescue boats	Not properly maintained	Yes
11101 – Lifeboats	Not ready for use	Yes
10101 – Pilot ladder and hoist/pilot transfer arrangements	Unsafe	No
06105 – Atmosphere testing instrument	Not properly maintained	No
07105 – Fire doors/openings in fire resisting divisions	Not as required	No
01117 – International Oil Pollution Prevention (IOPP)	Invalid	Yes
14604 – Bunker delivery note	Not as required	No
01315 – Oil record book	Not properly filled	No
02105 – Steering gear	Not properly maintained	No
02108 – Electrical installations in general	Not properly maintained	No
11134 – Operations of life saving appliances	Lack of familiarity	No

This vessel was still detained on 30th September 2018

Vessel Name: CIEN PORCIENTO (General Cargo)

GT: 106.

IMO No: 8944446.

Flag: Unregistered.

Company: Open Window Inc.

Classification Society: Unclassed.

Recognised Organisation: Not applicable.

Recognised Organisation for ISM DOC: Not applicable.

Recognised Organisation for ISM SMC: Not applicable

Date and Place of detention: 4 March 2010, Lowestoft

Summary: Thirty deficiencies including seven grounds for detention

This vessel was still detained on 30th September 2018

Notes to Editors
• The MCA is a partner in the Sea Vision UK campaign to raise awareness and understanding of the sea and maritime activities. Sea Vision promotes the importance and economic value of the sector and works to highlight the exciting range of activities and career opportunities available to young people within the UK growing maritime sector at www.seavision.org.uk

• Follow us on Twitter: @MCA_media

For further information please contact
Maritime and Coastguard Agency Press Office, on:
+44 (0) 2380 329 401
Press releases and further information about the agency is available here.