Crof applauds Gama for listening and reacting

Spoornet acts on stakeholders’ legitimate requests ALAN PEAT THE RECENTLY established rail industry body, the Container Rail Operators’ Forum (Crof), has just had a meeting with Spoornet acting-CEO, Siyabonga Gama. And it was, according to Peter Lewin, MSC Logistics director, and chairman of the forum, “an extremely positive” meeting. “When he was with the port authorities,” he told FTW, “Gama was party to the formation of the Container Liner Operators’ Forum (Clof), saw the benefits of direct interaction with them, and supports the idea of us as rail operators working independently. “He was also very positive about the new collaboration policy that Spoornet has implemented.” The result of this co-operative get-together was that Crof has been asked to prepare its agenda, and dates for follow-up meetings between its executive committee and Spoornet management have been fixed. “The feedback we had from this high-level meeting was great,” said Lewin, who has only high praise for the relationship between the industry and Gama up to now. “Since he was appointed,” he said, “we have already seen positive results. “Gama has actually listened to the industry’s complaints, and has already introduced beneficial changes.” One obvious example of this two-way co-operation, Lewin added, was a move which corrected a long-standing problem at the City Deep inland harbour. “Up till recently, any containers which were held at City Deep over weekends had to pay a storage cost – even where we were ready to collect them, but unable to do so because the facility was closed over the weekend. “But, thanks to Gama’s prompting, Spoornet has now removed that policy – and no charge is now made in such a situation.”