New lane to open next month
ALAN PEAT
WHILE STILL under construction, the third lane for the road accessing the Durban container terminal (DCT) should be finished in the next month, according to Paul Rayner, MD of DTB Cartage and chairman of the Durban harbour carriers section of the SA Association of Freight Forwarders (SAAFF).
This new lane, he told FTW, is dedicated to incoming vehicles for the DCT - and should go some way to easing the congestion on the currently two-lane terminal approach road.
Reacting to suspicion that the second approach lane could also be blocked by impetuous truck drivers, Rayner said that SA Port Operations (Sapo) staff are to police the road - and hopefully retain a free second lane for traffic by-passing DCT.
But, despite the imminent arrival of the new lane, the entry to the terminal is still chaotic, he added, especially at this pre-Christmas rush period of the year.
And the congestion may not let-up unless steps are taken to ease the pressure on the DCT.
“The terminal is so full that they’re battling for space for the containers,” said Rayner, “and this acts as a serious slow-down.”
With the current procedures not keeping up with the extra pressure of increased volumes, he added, the management of vehicle flow needs adjustment.
The harbour carriers are busy arranging a meeting with the port authorities, and beating the congestion is an item high on the agenda, according to Rayner.
