Durban car terminal expects to handle 160 000-car flow

Terry Hutson
SA PORT Operations’ (Sapo) new three-storey extension to the Durban Car Terminal, built at a cost of R100million, opened its doors last Friday (April 16) in anticipation of what is expected to become a non-stop stream of motor vehicles for the import and export markets.
The vehicles, which are loaded or discharged from giant car carriers at the dedicated R berth at the
T-Jetty, now have a new 380m-long double carriageway overhead bridge connecting with the terminal and helping reduce unnecessary risk while improving turnaround time.
The new facility increases the terminal’s capacity from 3500 to 7 000 parking bays, but already Sapo is giving thought to ways of increasing capacity in view of the phenomenal growth in motor vehicles handled.
During March the car terminal handled its highest volumes ever of 16500 vehicles and April is just as busy. As South Africa’s vehicle exports rise the terminal expects to handle more than 160000 vehicles in the next financial year ending March 2005, says terminal manager
Bev Masson.
In December 2003 the Durban Car terminal became the first port terminal within Sapo to achieve the NOSCAR integrated five-star accreditation, which is awarded when a mark of more than 95% is achieved within a NOSA rating.