Brakes on at the car terminal

After 13 years of unprecedented
growth at the Durban Car
Terminal the brakes have been
applied – ironically after the terminal
reached a capacity of 13 200 slots, just
short of the peak design capacity of 14
000 slots which will be reached this
November.
The motor industry is probably
one of the first to reflect changing
economic trends and this is proving
true in the current recession. Transnet
Port Terminals (TPT) reports a
dramatic decrease in the number of
vehicle imports and exports along with
vessel calls, although in the 2008/09
financial year ended 31 March 2009
the terminal handled a total of 372 557
motor units, just a little shy of the
388 894 units achieved in the preceding
year 2007/08.
There has however been a significant
drop in imports, from 258 881 in
2007/08 to 184 511 units, but the
reverse is true with exports, driven
mostly by Toyota South Africa’s export
drive. Vehicle exports at Durban rose
to 182 091 units from 122 590 the
previous year.
Industry sources say they do not
expect any improvement with the motor
industry before 2011 at the earliest.
The Durban Car Terminal remains
one of the most modern and with
excellent facilities, including the use
of four dedicated berths linked by
overhead bridge into the parkade area
of the terminal.