Durban goes digital to track congestion hot-spots

Transnet National Ports
Authority (TNPA), in
conjunction with the
Durban Harbour Carriers’
Association (DHCA), will
shortly embark on a pilot
project to collect and analyse
data that will identify where
and why truck congestion
occurs at the port of Durban.
“This data will then
be used to highlight
where technological or
infrastructural improvements
and/or intervention are
needed and to ensure better
alignment between vessel
berthing schedules and
road and rail transport
operations,” said Rishta Joga,
information management
systems (IMS) manager for
TNPA at the port of Durban.
Speaking at the Special
Interest Group (SIG)
Transport Forum held in
Durban last week, Joga
said this was one of many
technological innovations
TNPA was working on to
improve efficiencies at the
port and create schedule
alignment between all
transport operators.
“We will use 20 truck
operators, identified in
conjunction with the DHCA,
as part of the pilot project
and will fit each truck that
comes into the port with a
radio frequency identification
(RFID) tag – without the
driver’s knowledge – that
will provide complete
transparency around the
driver’s movements in and out
of the port,” she said.
She pointed out that truck
congestion could not be
solely laid at TNPA’s door.
“We have 70-94 vessels
berthing at the port of
Durban per week. If proper
scheduling procedures are
followed, there should not be
that many trucks at the port
on any given day,” said Joga.
According to her, the
biggest challenge is overborder
trucks that arrive
early and wait in and around
the port entrances until the
vessel arrives and the cargo
can be offloaded or uploaded.
TNPA is also in the process of
installing CCTV cameras for
complete 24-hour visibility at
all the arterial roads around
the port.
“This will provide
additional data on where
the problems are, and what
they are, so we can plan a
strategy around this,” Joga
commented.
She told FTW that about
10 hauliers had already been
identified and that fitting of
the RFID tags was expected
to start this
week. “We
will keep the
tags – which
cost R1 500
per tag per
truck – on the
trucks for 90
days so we can
ensure we get
an accurate
picture
of truck
movements
and
turnaround
times at the
port,” Joga
explained.
Kevin Martin, ex-DHCA
chairman and CEO of the
Durban-based Freightliner
Transport operation, said
he welcomed any move by
TNPA to improve operational
efficiency and truck
turnaround time.
“But, are we not putting the
cart before the horse? Frankly,
if Transnet Port Terminals
(TPT) focused on supplying
a proper road haulier service
at the port, and upping the
service levels, it wouldn’t be
necessary to spend all this
extra money to create and
analyse data,” he said.
He believes the port needs
to ensure reliable and strong
service levels
first. “Then
we can look
at what needs
to be done
to improve
operations,”
said Martin.
Another
Durbanbased
operator
agreed,
telling FTW
on condition
of anonymity
that TPT’s
challenges
with its
equipment not working,
labour shortages etc were
challenges under its control
and could no longer be used
as an excuse for poor delivery.
“It’s all very well to get
truckers involved and track
the problems but why spend
money on trying to identify
problems when they already
know the problems?” he said.
INSERT & CAPTION
We will use 20 truck
operators and will fit
each truck that comes
into the port with
a radio frequency
identification (RFID)
tag.
– Rishta Joga