An empirical analysis of the resiliency of Ro/Ro and Ro/Pax terminal operations

Abstract

Regular maritime lines with roll-on roll-off vessels must offer a reliable service without substantial cost increases in order to be competitive. Port terminals need to be able to respond quickly to any disturbance that might appear and return to a smooth operational state in the minimum amount of time (resilient terminals). In this paper a complete taxonomy of the disturbances affecting the operational processes in a roll-on roll-off terminal is introduced together with a system able to assess the performance of any measure used to mitigate them. The study is based on an overview of the existing literature on the topic, a detailed diagram of the operational processes of the terminal, and an exhaustive set of interviews of the staff involved in the processes occurring in a roll-on roll-off terminal, together with field measurements. The main vulnerabilities are identified and possible corrective and preventive measures are pointed out.