The Port of Kaohsiung installed an advanced Vessel Traffic Management System (VTMS) to help further Taiwan’s development as a competitive center of Asia-Pacific shipping operations. The system was permitted by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications and the tender was awarded to SOFRELOG(France) in December 1999. Work was completed at the end of 2001.

This system installed vessel traffic control (VTC) towers and the Vessel Traffic Management Centre on the north side of Entrance No. 2 together with five radar stations, wireless systems, computer and display/control systems, closed-circuit TV systems, ultra-high frequency wireless direction-detector, and other system equipment in the port area. The system is designed to perform consecutive detection and tracking of each vessel within a service range of 20 nautical miles, enabling control personnel to track in real time the movement of vessels inside and outside the port and to send instructions and warning messages to vessels at sea to prevent maritime incidents. The VTMS replaces a former system of manually operated signal stations and facilitates vessel traffic efficiency, enhances port operations, and reduces the risk of vessel-collision accidents. 

In line with international convention, this system was renamed the Vessel Traffic Service in July 2002.