CTCT pioneers pre-trip inspection facility

In a first of its kind at South African ports the Cape Town Container Terminal will provide a pre-trip inspection (PTI) site for containers before the end of the year. According to the Pam Yoyo, terminal manager at the Port of Cape Town, the construction of the site is expected to start soon. While there’s no firm date for this, Yoyo is determined to see the facility up and running before the end of the year. “It is one of our main objectives for 2015,” she told FTW. “This facility has to work from the get go. There is no time to entertain teething problems and so we are working hard to ensure that all is in place and that once construction of the facility is completed we can immediately start offering this service.” No other port in the country offers a PTI service. Container users have to make use of facilities elsewhere be it at warehouses or depots. “We just think it will be more cost efficient in the long run having such a facility at the port. It will mean our customers can cut down on the movement of containers as they will no longer be moving from pillar to post to get them cleared for the next trip.” Reefers in particular are subject to stringent international standards – and with Cape Town predominantly servicing the perishable industry it made sense to look at this valueadd service. Yoyo said the terminal would do the inspection at a facility on site from where containers could be collected. “Our capex for this project has been approved and all of the necessary impact and feasibility studies have been concluded. We are now nearing the end of the procurement phase and so the start of construction is just around the corner.” According to Yoyo this initiative will play a role in attracting more volume to the port as it will give the terminal an advantage. CAPTION Cape Town Container Terminal will shortly begin construction of a pre-trip inspection (PTI) site for containers.