Circular 08: New Regulations on Nighttime Lighting of Waterway Signal Lights

According to Circular 08/2020/TT-BGTVT regulations, at night, the signal illumination must ensure a visibility range of at least 1000 m with the naked eye under ideal visibility conditions (atmosphere with meteorological visibility of 10 nautical miles with the conventional brightness threshold of 0.2 micro-lux for the human observer).

Illustration (Source: Internet)

- Nighttime signal lights come in 4 colors: red - green - yellow - white

- When using electric lights to illuminate signs, it must be ensured that the signals are visible from a distance of 500m or more under ideal visibility conditions.

- Red light indicates channel limit signals, right-bank obstruction signals, and prohibition notification signals.

- Green light indicates channel limit signals, left-bank obstruction signals, and traffic control notification signals.

- Yellow light indicates direction signals such as channel diversion, bifurcation, channel orientation on wide waterways, navigational spans, and water area limit signals.

- White light indicates central channel marks on wide waterways, obstacle markings on wide waterways, and signals indicating river confluences and channel branches.

- The light flashes have the following policies:

Short flash 1: 1 short flash, followed by a long dark interval (designated FI)

- Long flash 1: 1 long flash, followed by a short dark interval (designated OC)

- Flash 2: 2 consecutive short flashes with a short dark interval in between, followed by a long dark interval (designated FI(2)).

- Flash 3: 3 consecutive short flashes with 2 short dark intervals in between, followed by a long dark interval (designated FI(3)).

- Equal flash (designated ISO):

- Equal flash: 1 long flash, followed by a long dark interval, with equal light and dark durations.- Fast equal flash (also known as quick flash): short flashes alternating with short dark intervals, with equal light and dark durations.- Continuous fast flash: very quick short flashes alternating with very short dark intervals (designated Q).- Constant light (designated F). For example:

- FI.(R) 5s:       1 short flash, red light with a 5-second cycle.- FI.(G) 5s:       1 short flash, green light with a 5-second cycle.- OC.(W) 5s:      1 long flash, white light with a 5-second cycle.- ISO.(Y) 6s:     Equal flash, yellow light with a 6-second cycle.

- On national inland waterways and main inland waterways, signal lights must be equipped with devices that report technical parameters including: signal coordinates, current, power voltage, flash policies, and other parameters related to the instantaneous operating status of the signal, transmitting signals to the operation center of the Vietnam Inland Waterway Administration or the unit assigned by the Ministry of Transport. Signal lights mounted on buoys must also be equipped with satellite positioning devices or AIS to determine the instant position of the buoy.

For more details, refer to Circular 08/2020/TT-BGTVT, effective from November 1, 2020.

Thu Ba

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