NPA gets tough on vehicle permits

JOY ORLEK NO PERMIT – no entry. That’s the message from the National Ports Authority to operators of all commercial vehicles with a carrying capacity of 1000 kg or more entering or leaving any South African harbour to deliver or collect cargo or containers. “From December 1, any vehicle entering an NPA-owned harbour facility for the purposes of collecting imports or delivering exports will be refused entry if not in possession of a Harbour Carrier Permit,” an NPA spokesman told FTW. Permits, which are not transferable, are issued for each truck tractor or “rigid” vehicle and are valid for a financial year. They are available from Harbour Revenue offices in Durban at a cost of R185.00 including VAT. “It’s part of a wider security clampdown by the NPA which has already seen some improvement in access control at Maydon Wharf,” says Dave Watts of the KZN chapter of the SA Association of Freight Forwarders. “The permit requirement has been in place for several years, but lack of implementation has resulted in a loss of revenue for the ports, and more importantly security has been compromised – and that’s the main motivation behind the latest development.” The regulation applies to South African and foreign-registered hauliers. Vehicle Entry permit applications must be made in advance.