Progress is being made in addressing the port and rail challenges through the Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB) gateway by the NMB Business Chamber taking a partnership approach, according to Lance Petersen, chairperson of the organisation’s transport and logistics task team.“There are 19 berths between the ports of Port Elizabeth and Ngqura, which should make us a major gateway and transit hub,” he told Freight News. For business in the metro and Eastern Cape as a whole, first prize would be the twin ports becoming preferred calls for the shipping lines over Durban.“Delays in Durban have a direct impact on the Eastern Cape as the shipping lines then bypass Ngqura in order to make up time.”One of the main requirements for this to happen is for the ports to be better connected to the hinterland and Gauteng in particular. “The bottom line is that the rail capacity must be rebuilt,” he says.Given the Transnet funding shortage, the chamber is working with its members to identify opportunities presented by Transnet making its rail network available to third party operators.Business members have also been working with the ports to help them overcome challenges with equipment.“Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) is working well with the reefer industry, which is very hands-on to ensure that their supply chain works well.“The auto industry has now been included in the meetings with TPT to help the port operator understand industry requirements and f lows, and a more coordinated approach is starting to bear fruit,” he says.Lessons are being learned from mistakes, such as berthing a distressed vehicle in Port Elizabeth at the height of the citrus export season. Delays caused by a shortage of berthing space translated into substantial losses for the growers, as the fruit arrived in Europe in less than optimal condition and clashed with the start of the Spanish season. The industry has also been working closely with the port authorities to make the new truck booking system more efficient. “The rollout in NMB has been the best in the country because of industry support, but it still needs work.” A lack of equipment in the ports is one of the issues, with an aged f leet of straddle carriers in Port Elizabeth constantly breaking down.A temporary solution has been to use f lat-bed trailers to move containers within the port rather than the straddle carriers. ER
