'Road train' makes minimum 44 trips a day
AS CONTAINER volumes through
the port of Durban continue to
increase, so too do the challenges
faced by the port and its users.
But, according to Safmarine
KwaZulu-Natal area manager Greg
Rohrs, the line is working closely
with port officials and shippers
to find constructive and effective
solutions to port congestion and
other issues faced by South Africa’s
busiest port.
“Not only is there a strong
sense of cooperation between all
stakeholders, but the future of
Durban port and its importance to
the city is receiving attention at
the highest levels.”
Local government’s success
in attracting business to the
Durban area has emphasised the
importance of improving the port
and its supporting infrastructure
to the benefit of both the city and
the entire KZN region, says Rohrs.
“Predictions are that the
Durban container terminal will
increase throughput from 1.6
million containers to 2.2 million
TEUs by the end of 2007 so there
is significant support for the
current proposal to build a new
container terminal away from the
City,” he added.
Rohrs says all the relevant
companies within the Safmarine
group – the entity that represents
the interests of the A.P. Moller-
Maersk Group in South Africa
– are working to find solutions by
moving containers as quickly as
possible from the port of Durban
to their final destination.
“For example, the IDC – one of
the trucking companies within our
Group – offers a dedicated ‘roadtrain’
with a minimum of 44 trips
a day,” he says.
