CT to pilot Belcon ‘staging’ strategy

A pilot project that will see
containers delivered to the
Bellville Container Terminal
(Belcon) rather than directly
to the Port of Cape Town
is expected to kick off in
September.
Part of a developing strategy
between Transnet National
Ports Authority (TNPA),
Transnet Port Terminals
(TPT) and Transnet Freight
Rail (TFR) to improve port
efficiency and address city
congestion, the project has been
in the pipeline for some time.
According to Cape Town
Container Terminal manager
Pamela Yoyo, an interphase
team has been working on the
project that ultimately wants
to see all containers delivered
to Belcon and moved by rail
to the port instead of having
trucks manoeuvre in and out
of the foreshore to deliver and
pick up boxes.
“The full impact of this
project can and will only be
realised over the long term.
It is still in its very early
stages,” she said at a Transnet
stakeholder breakfast in Cape
Town last week.
Port manager Sipho Nzuza
agreed, saying the feasibility of
the idea was essentially what
the pilot was aiming to test.
“We believe this is a very
good strategy that will have a
significant impact on the port’s
efficiency,” said Nzuza. “It not
only takes the trucks away from
the city and decongests the N1,
but truckers themselves will get
more cycles out of their vehicles
as they will be closer to the
markets and not stuck in city
traffic for hours.”
One of the major challenges
with the project, however, has
been the shared railway line
between TFR and Prasa.
“Interlinking with Prasa
has to happen as it is all the
same line and coming up with
viable solutions has been a
focus,” he said.
Transnet officials are also
actively looking at developing
a container facility in Atlantis
in the long term – also serviced
by rail – as another option for a
stack for the port.