The R1.5 billion revamp
of seven of the Maydon
Wharf berths has seen
berth 12 completed, and
the construction now to be
extended to berths 13 and 14,
then berths 1 and 2, followed
finally by berths 3 and 4.
That was the message
from Transnet National Ports
Authority at a stakeholder
briefing in Durban last
week.
They also announced that
the upgrading of Bayhead
Road into a four-lane dual
carriageway – designed
to alleviate the truck
congestion on the old
narrow road – had been
handed over to the TNPA in
October. But a major portlocated
business told FTW
that certain sections of the
blacktop surface had already
started delaminating with
worrying potholes appearing
that would damage truck and
trailer tyres, suspension and
axles. FTW is also covering
this issue of concern for
truckers and other road
vehicle users.
Another report was
that the Durban container
terminal (DCT) project to
install seven new tandemlift
ship-to-shore cranes had
seen phase 1 completed –
the construction of crane rail
beams at berth 203.
Finally, the R57.7 million
project at Island View to
extend the existing bunker
barge berth (berth 10) by
45 metres to 176 m has also
been completed.
This “auspicious” get
together was addressed
by a large team of senior
Transnet executives, each of
whom gave up their valuable
time to describe separate
parts of the overall port
modernisation upgrade.
But little new was
revealed, with the
information largely a repeat
of previous meetings that
FTW has attended, and
has reported on in detail in
previous editions going back
as far as 18 months ago.
It also came as a
disappointment for a number
of FTW freight industry
contacts who attended the
meeting – but came away
complaining that a rather
large amount of taxpayers’
money had been wasted on
what one of them described
as “a grand show, signifying
nothing”.
While TNPA CEO, Tau
Morwe, was listed as a
speaker, he was unable
to attend because of an
overseas trip. He was
expected by attendees to
reveal some astounding
new information. But, if he
was, he didn’t pass on the
information to any of his
fellow executives to present
to us. So we all came away
disappointed.
INSERT
‘A rather large amount
of taxpayers’ money
was wasted on
what one attendee
described as a grand
show, signifying
nothing.’
