Designed for quicker
transit and schedule integrity, writes Alan Peat
SLOWER THAN expected port turnaround, and surprisingly strong export volumes, have seen the SAECS (SA Europe Container Service) consortium revamping its port rotation.
This is designed to cut transit times, and build more schedule integrity for both SAECS' intermediate (mid-week) and core (weekend) services.
At a meeting of all the players - DAL (Deutsche Afrika-Linien); Ellerman Harrison Container Line; Maersk Sealand; P&O Nedlloyd; and Safmarine - a number of changes were approved by the consortium.
The core service will no longer call at Algeciras southbound. Tenerife calls will be subject to inducement, and the port cut from the schedule both southbound and northbound.
Las Palmas will be the transhipment hub for both southbound and northbound cargo.
First change for the intermediate service is a move to larger vessels than the current 1 000 TEU (twenty foot equivalent unit) ships.
Second is changes in the European port schedule - with calls at Portbury and Bremerhaven, plus one other as yet unnamed Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg) port.
The intermediate service will also now call at Algeciras in both directions.
Copyright Now Media (Pty) Ltd
No article may be reproduced without the written permission of the editor
To respond to this article send your email to joyo@nowmedia.co.za
