Despite promises from Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) that the new Navis port management system at the Port of Durban’s Pier 2 (Durban container terminal as was) would accelerate vessel turnaround and container landside movement to near the speed of light, the lights have gone off. Shipping line and truck company executives have described the performance levels at the terminal as “atrocious”, and blamed it on a combination of the nonperformance of Navis to date, and equally under-performing productivity levels. “It’s a sick joke,” said Kevin Martin, MD of Freightliner Transport and chairman of the Durban Harbour Carriers Committee (DHCA). “We hear stories that they (TPT) have sent 10 straddle carriers down to Port Elizabeth, but that they’ll be getting 20 new ones in about a month or two. “But that’s no excuse for the miserable performance at the moment. In fact, there’s a business truism: There is no excuse in business.” Paul Rayner, MD of DTB Transport, another short-haul container transporter, was equally disturbed when FTW talked to him last week. “There are potential delays at most of the towers each day at Pier 1 and 2,” he said. “Ships are stacking up outside again. Ten ships outside today, waiting to get into Pier 2. “And yesterday, TPT only managed 1 800 gate moves. A year ago they were doing 3 000+ on a fairly regular basis, but now they are peaking at only 2 500 a day.” And the peak season hasn’t really started yet, according to Rayner. “We’re obviously waiting for that with some trepidation,” he added. The poor performance at Pier 2 is now attracting worldwide attention, according to Peter Newton, MD of Capebased fruit export specialists, Seaborne and an authoritative commentator on SA port affairs. “It does not appear to be improving,” he said. “On the contrary, vessel dispatch, not to mention container movements in-and-out of the terminal, seems to be deteriorating - with signs of crisis management becoming panic management.” The queues of vehicles collecting containers at the Durban container terminal are reported to be “enormous”, said a statement issued last week to FTW by major SA forwarder, Safcor Panalpina. “Waiting times for trucks collecting containers are up to 15-hours. TPT this week asked hauliers not to send any further vehicles into the harbour, but didn’t specify the causes of the delays being experienced. “At present 13 ships are awaiting berths and a further 29 are expected to arrive off the port in the next eight days. This will impact on deliveries to clients and will extend total transit times for import cargoes.” Commenting on this statement, Newton said: “From a distance it is difficult to pinpoint the cause, which could embrace a number of factors. “But two of these would definitely appear to be: The April 1 introduction at Pier 2 of Navis; and a shortage of serviceable straddle carriers. In the meantime ‘vasbyt’ as we are constantly urged to do.” Shipping line executives are also irate. “I don’t know if weather has been an added factor, but today’s daily report from Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) shows that Pier 1 has a 24-hour to 36-hr delay – but Pier 2 is 4-6 days,” said Iain McIntosh, marketing manager of Mitsui OSK Line (MOL). An anonymous executive was equally irritated. “At Pier 2, Navis is a headache,” he told FTW. “It’s very slow.” Said Glenn Delve, marketing director for Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC): “In berthing there are congestion issues. Our ships are delayed up to 10-days for the smaller vessels. “We keep records of every vessel loading/unloading, and compare it with what TPT say it should be. Basically, from this, we note that productivity is down, and there is congestion. “There is, therefore, a worry for us about dwell time, although we’re not bypassing – yet.”
