New equipment needs addressed
RAY SMUTS
WHETHER OR not he is offered the ‘hot seat’ at the Cape Town container terminal - one for which he has not applied, incidentally - is an unknown quantity for now, but Oscar Borchards remains convinced that the future well-being of the operation lies pretty much in integrated planning.
“Planning is crucial. We must and will get better on integrated planning between the customer and ourselves.
“Also vital is capacity on wet and dry cargo,” says Borchards. “We can get all the boxes, but without space we will fall flat and the rail yard within the port is the first option. If we were to add the old Eskom power site (bought some years ago by Transnet), that would see us through for a good number of years.”
To Borchards’ way of thinking, other priorities that would contribute greatly to a successful terminal operation are further honing relationships with the customer base and the stevedoring sector.
Admitting that acting as terminal manager for the past five months has considerably piqued his interest in containers - he is actually the MPT manager - Borchards is clearly unhappy about equipment breaking down completely.
“We are addressing equipment on a continuous basis. We want to get away from driving equipment into the ground and rather replace it before that eventuality.”
It is for that very reason that the intention is to replace 12 of the existing 23 straddle carriers in the next financial year, adding to recent new arrivals in four straddle carriers and a reach stacker. If approved, two new cranes could be in place by 2006.
