Open communication tops Durban port users' wish list

04 Jun 2014 - by Staff reporter

Diminished freight volumes have provided some breathing space
for the Port of Durban during current upgrades. FTW’s Liesl
Venter spoke to some industry role-players for their take on the
current state of play.

FTW: Delays at the Port of
Durban have been a concern
in the past. Have they been
a challenge since the start of
upgrades?
Kevin Martin, chairman of
the Durban Harbour Carriers’
Association (DHCA):
There have not been that
many delays in recent weeks.
In fact the loss of quay space
at container terminals 1 and 2
has not been the train smash
that was initially predicted - but
that is not because of any smart
planning by the port’s terminal
operators. Simply put, we
haven’t experienced any delays
because the volumes are down.
Fanie Pretorius, chief
operating officer of the South
African Shippers’ Council
(SASC):
There are no current delays
due to the low volumes being
experienced and possibly
improved performance at
the Durban
Container
Terminal
(DCT). So far
the closure of
berths 108 and
109 seems not
to have had a
serious impact
and it should be
finished in the
next few weeks
or so. The weekly statistics
from Transnet, however, do not
always ref lect what’s happening
on the operational front.
Carl Webb, managing
director of Project Logistics
Management (PLM):
There are good days and
there are bad days. Too often,
however, things just don’t run
smoothly enough and it remains
a problem. Last week a truck
arrived at Point at 11am and it
only loaded the next day at 2pm.
That is a long wait.
FTW: What is your biggest
gripe/concern/
problem with
the Durban
port?
KM:
Efficiency. With
all the money
being spent and
all the work
happening
we have yet
to improve
efficiency. The upgrades are
a necessary pain that we are
just going to have to take
on the chin, but ultimately
it has to bring about better
efficiency. So far it has been very
challenging to say the least and
the improvements are not being
felt. We are lucky we are not
pumping volumes at present.
FP: The biggest issue facing
the port is the single road access
to the terminals and Cutler
Complex - Bayhead Road. It is
simply not fit for purpose; there
needs to be serious attention
to this access in one way or
another. The efficiencies of the
operations are not consistent
and the frequent stoppages
of operations by TNPA are
not acceptable. Recently, for
example, all operations stopped
for TNPA road show meetings.
CW: Inefficiency and the lack
of communication.
FTW: What would you like
to see happen at the Port of
Durban?
KM: The development of the
PX Block some 2km from the
port. We could be the Rotterdam
of the southern hemisphere if
we were just willing to think
differently. It is all good and
well to want to go and dig out
a whole new port, but maybe
there are other simpler and more
affordable solutions available.
If we develop the PX Block we
can discharge vessels and move
the entire shipment to this
facility, leaving only exports
to be accepted at terminals for
stacking. The local imports
could be collected via Edwin
Swales Drive. Immediately one
would be splitting the road
traffic in two, reducing the
congestion and creating more
stacking areas at both facilities.
FP: I would like to see the
Salisbury Island development go
ahead so as to increase capacity
by approximately 800k TEUS
at Pier 1, linked to the critical
improvement to the port. This
would either be Transnet’s
thinking of a road over the
marshalling yard linking to
Edwin Swales or EThekwini’s
thinking of widening of Bayhead
with a link to a widened South
Coast Road linking to the N7. It
would also be good if Transnet
realised that building a new port
at a cost of some R120 billion,
which the country cannot afford,
is not the only way of dealing
with the increased containers.
They should first address the
efficiencies and sort out port
property not properly utilised
for port activities.
CW: Open communication
lines where we can be honest
with each other. It is really very
simple. They have problems
which can be addressed, we have
problems that can be addressed,
and collectively we can do it.