A private-sector representative of the freight industry has sought to set the record straight about Transnet regulating landside container movement at the Port of Cape Town.
The source, whose name is withheld, said it was nonsense that the logistics utility was not trying to resolve long-standing complaints by harbour carriers about Transnet’s Navis truck slot booking system, as reported on Friday (read this article for context).
The source said about a month ago that the utility’s quayside operator, Transport Port Terminals (TPT), had implemented a number plate recognition protocol that seemed to work well alongside the Navis system.
He said that about a week ago, the utility’s real estate proprietor, Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA), had also proceeded to block trucks from entering the port’s outer perimeter at Paarden Island.
Last week the South African Transporters Alliance alleged that truck traffic was continuing to build up inside the Paarden Island gate to the port and Cape Town Container Terminals.
“This is absolute nonsense,” said the source, who is often critical of Transnet but, in fairness to the utility, said it's not true that TNPA continues to allow trucks without slots into the port precinct.
In the past, harbour traffic inside the port has been cited as a major reason why trucks with pre-awarded slots often cannot get to the terminal in time. This is because trucks without slots are loitering between the outer gate and the terminal.
“This is no longer the case,” the source said.
“We have to be fair to Transnet. They are also turning trucks away that arrive too early for their pre-appointed slots. If, for example, you have a slot at 12 noon but you arrive at sixin the morning, you won’t be allowed through the Paarden Island gate at all. What are you doing there so early anyway?"
The source said industry had fought for the new system for six years and that it should be given due time to prove its hoped-for efficacy.
Last week, Transnet told Freight News that its new truck traffic pilot system was intended to control transporters across the entire port precinct and streamline container flows.
It wasn’t entirely clear, though, whether the new system entailed TNPA toughening up on con-compliant service providers, including compliant transporters arriving too early at the Paarden Island gate.
It’s not the first time a private-sector representative has said that much of the congestion often experienced at the Port of Cape Town is caused by bad behaviour from transporters, not necessarily Transnet.
* On Monday afternoon Derick Ongansie of the SA Transporters Alliance sent through the following update:
"We're not at odds with Transnet over the integration of the TNPA and TPT systems to check for valid bookings.
"We have been advocating for this integration since 2022 and not six years as your source claims.
"The booking system was introduced in October 2021.
"My only disappointment is that they could have used number plate recognition scanners instead of tablets to capture the number plates."
Ongansie said Sata did not want to be put in "an unfavourable position with Transnet and other stakeholders that lobbied for this integration with us.
"We have to give Transnet recognition for at least listening to our pleas in this regard."
