New Spoornet project offers welcome hope of curbing congestion

MSC Logistics expects upward spiral in container traffic JOY ORLEK A GROWING trend towards the movement of bulk commodities in containers is making additional demands on an already overloaded infrastructure – and it’s a trend that’s likely to grow, says MSC Logistics director Georgi Georgiev. “It’s all related to the growing demand and the lack of adequate Spoornet capacity to move bulk commodities to the coast,” says Georgiev who is anticipating phenomenal growth in container traffic in the next few years. Business has been brisk for the company, says Georgiev, with road movements continuing to rise. “Our rail figures are still OK, but no fireworks. Rail is definitely losing ground.” And with more and more trucks on the road, landside congestion at the Port of Durban is the biggest issue of the moment, says Georgiev. “Compared to last year our trucks are waiting double the time at the Durban terminal, if not more, and it all adds up to extra costs. We are forced to put on more trucks to cope with the additional volumes and slow turnaround, and the road congestion is getting worse all the time." The result is a delay in deliveries to Gauteng, which impacts on the country’s reputation in terms of service efficiency, says Georgiev. "We are very positive about the new Spoornet 'Superhighway Project' which is already taking shape and will be able to relieve some of the pressure. “We always try to work smarter, but costs are rising all the time. The fuel price has gone up three times in a row and passing the extra costs up the supply chain is not always possible.” The company’s Rosslyn facility is experiencing similar growth, says Georgiev. “It’s been a big success for five years in a row and with the growth in the automotive industry, we expect this to continue.” Georgiev is keenly eyeing developments at Coega. “With congestion at other ports, it should be possible to route Gauteng cargo through Coega – but we’ll have to wait for Transnet’s plans. “We are very positive about the Coega development. The hub and spokes system works well all over the world. There’s no reason why the same should not be true of South Africa.”