Car terminal expansion plans quietly scrapped
TERRY HUTSON
NOT VERY long ago talk around SA Port Operations
was all gung-ho about growth for the car terminal
– the word being that Salisbury Island had to be
developed as Durban’s new car terminal, not only to
accommodate the unprecedented growth in vehicle
movements through the port but also taking into
account the concerns of city planners regarding
increased traffic levels along the now renamed Victoria
Embankment.
To demonstrate just how positive these reports
were the army, which had moved onto Salisbury Island
when the navy downgraded to a naval station, had
vacated the premises in anticipation of the arrival
of Sapo, while the small naval station prepared to
squeeze into one corner of the former expansive
facility.
Since them and with none of the hype that
accompanied plans to develop Salisbury Island as the
country’s future premier car terminal, those plans
appear to have been quietly scrapped. The car terminal
will remain where it is at Cato Creek on the city end
of the port and the island will become … what? A
further repository for containers it seems, although
nothing official has been announced.
These developments are made surprising by the
continued growth in volumes of vehicles processed
through the port. In 2006 Durban’s car terminal
handled a record 389 000 motor units – consider
that eight years ago the newly developed terminal
was handling 40 000 units in a year. Today it has
expanded beyond the confines of R berth and Cato
Creek and now includes regular use of F and G
berths with even E berth being pressed into duty
at times.
This means the vaunted City Terminal (multi
purpose) has shrunk in terms of available working
area (and even more so considering that containers
are also being handled at this terminal).
Toyota, which earlier this year completed a five
year R2.4 billion investment in its multipurpose
vehicle programme, is gearing up for a production
capacity of 220 000 vehicles a year, of which half
is said to be for the export market. In 2006 Toyota’s
export market amounted to 50 000 units.
This expansion comes despite the setback of
having had to stop exporting Corollas to Australia
on account of, so it is whispered, quality. The
anticipated growth of Toyota’s exports of course puts
the squeeze on available terminal space, both for
Toyota and other manufacturers, a squeeze that is
compounded by the phenomenal growth in motor
vehicle imports.
In 2006 something like 70% of vehicles handled
by the port were imports. And now, with Chinese
and Malaysian manufacturers joining the rush to sell vehicles into Africa, the squeeze is tightening.
The effect of this is that several other manufacturers are reported to be looking
seriously at other alternatives including Maputo and the Eastern Cape ports.
Earlier this year Durban received its first pure car carrier with over 5000
vehicles for discharge, with indications that it is the first of many. S ince then the
port has played host to several vessels of this size though not necessarily with the
cargo destined for Durban.
