Productivity is the only medicine for ‘sick’ port

TERRY HUTSON
COMPARISONS MAY not always be wise but they do provide some perspective.
While Durban shouldn’t be compared with the huge international container ports such as Singapore, Hong Kong, Rotterdam or even Antwerp, it is interesting to note that as recently as September 2004 the chairman of the Hong Kong Container Terminal Operators’ Association, Alan Lee, reported that the container port had 24 berths, “and each berth handles only about 500 000 TEUs or only 12 million per annum.
“We could handle 800 000 TEUs per berth up to 20 million,” he said.
Lee’s message was that Hong Kong was currently operating at 40% below capacity and that careful thought was needed before a decision to expand with an additional terminal became necessary.
Compared to this DCT has a long way to go. The terminal currently boasts eight berths (or 11 if Pier 1 is included), which means the terminal handles an average of only 187 500 at the eight berths or even less – 136 363 – when Pier 1 is included.
This sort of comparison sends a message to Sapo, to the NPA and to government that the time for talking is over, the focus now has to turn to efficiency and productivity.
“The problem in Durban is not area (or lack of it) but rather how the terminal is operated,” said one international operator who is considering the concession for the Durban Container Terminal. He concluded his report by saying the port was “sick” and “needed radical treatment rather than abandoning it in favour of other ports far from the centres of commerce.”