City Deep gridlock affects transport patterns

The movement of containers in and out of Gauteng remains a major problem for the province with operations at the City Deep rail head challenged. According to Raymond Cutts, national sales and marketing director of International Liner Agencies, this is affecting the movement of cargo into the province as it has become extremely difficult to move boxes directly to Gauteng. “The impact of the congestion at the rail head along with the equipment challenges is resulting in a situation where freight is being terminated in Durban so that clients have more control of it.” According to Cutts, the major concerns remain the delays on rail and the backlogs at the depots. “We are finding many clients don’t want to bring containers into Gauteng any more. It is important that we address this situation and find ways of managing the movement of containers more effectively.” With Gauteng the heart of South Africa’s industry, the province remains competitive and important, but as Durban grows its infrastructure it is starting to challenge Johannesburg’s capabilities. “If the Durban airport truly becomes international and can offer the same service as the Gauteng airports it could affect the status quo.” From an ILA perspective the company’s Durban operations are definitely growing faster than Johannesburg. So much so that moving headquarters to Durban in the future is not being ruled out as an option, says managing director Rod Taylor. “Gauteng is however the commercial centre of the country and will always have a role to play.” Cutts says there is much opportunity at present for the various role-players to come together and address the challenges facing the province. “There is definitely an opportunity for investment by the different bodies involved in making the service more effective.”