Durban sends spare straddles to Eastern Cape

PE can now use fourth crane Terry Hutson A NUMBER of spare straddle carriers are being relocated from the Durban container terminal to Port Elizabeth and East London. They have become available following the ongoing delivery of new equipment from Kalmar Ð Durban recently took its 20th new carrier into service. Denny Reddy, manager of the Port Elizabeth container terminal, told FTW that the additional straddles meant that the port's fourth quayside gantry crane could be brought into service as required. "Until now we haven't had enough straddle carriers to really use the fourth crane. With five coming from Durban all that will change." Reddy said that the port intended ordering four new straddle carriers in 2003 but the Durban machines would act as a stopgap in the meantime. He said the port had to gear itself for an expected increase in volumes, particularly in view of plans by SA Port Operations to encourage container lines to drop off Gauteng-based boxes instead of taking them on to an overcrowded Durban. Asked whether there were sufficient trained personnel to man the additional gantry crane, Reddy said that this could be achieved with the present workforce but that additional people would have to be trained in the longer term. Meanwhile two spare straddle carriers will also be relocated from Durban to East London to assist out with the handling of increased volumes at the port.