Case Study on MkIS

River traffic tracking systems

Case Summary
River transport on the Danube was first disrupted in the early 1990s by
the wars in disintegrating Yugoslavia and sanctions against the rump state
of Serbia and Montenegro. Then in April 1999, Nato forces bombed three
bridges at Novi Sad, in northern Serbia, blocking the river. Navigation has
still been only partially restored. As a result, the Danube, which runs 2,400
km from western Germany to the Black Sea, has largely missed out on
east-central Europe’s post-Communist economic transformation.
Yet efforts are under way to restore the Danube to its previous role as a
key route for freight. River traffic avoids the long border checks that slow
down the region’s road and rail traffic. From Linz down to Belgrade will
take slightly more than two days by river. Even by road, the journey is
impossible in less than two days owing to delays at border crossings. New
technology may further enhance the river’s attractions. Via Donau is
testing its Donau River Information System on a 31 km section of the river
near Vienna. The computer tracking system is intended to provide
operators and ship owners with up-to-the-second data on the position of
vessels and offer information such as whether vessels’ cargoes are
dangerous.
Questions
1. What information might the Donau River Information System provide?
2. How might an information system like this assist in decision making?