Maputo border extends working hours

JOY ORLEK TODAY (September 1) saw the extension of commercial cargo clearing hours at the Lebombo/Ressano Garcia border post between South Africa and Mozambique from 18:00 to 22:00. It’s a milestone for the corridor, says Maputo Corridor Logistics Initiative CEO Brenda Horne. And while a 24-hour border post would be first prize, the extended hours – 06:00 to 22:00 - are seen as a significant step forward. “Road hauliers want their trucks to do a round trip,” says Horne. “By extending the border hours, trucks can increase the radius within which they operate without having to wait for the gate to open, which makes them more cost-effective. “We will continue to lobby for 24-hour opening, but we understand that the extension to 22:00 is an easier move for the departments concerned because this now corresponds with the passenger border hours.” Restricted border opening has been seen as a key obstacle to growth in traffic along the corridor with SA trucks heading for Maputo port often delayed at the border in long queues for many hours, with all the additional costs that this incurs.