Task team to address CT truck staging area

Truck operators and port authorities are at loggerheads over turnaround times at the Port of Cape Town’s truck staging area. Whilst truckers complain about the congestion, the long queues and slow turnaround times to get in and out of the port, port authorities have raised concern about the illegal parking of trucks. According to Qamisa Tukani, Transnet National Ports Authority senior operations manager, the truck staging area is a major pain point for both port users and port authorities. “The illegal parking of trucks is a problem and a challenge to the port, especially when the container terminal is wind bound,” she said. Port users, in return, told Tukani the congestion being experienced at present was just as challenging. “It can take up to 13 hours to process a single truck at the port,” said one transporter. Tukani acknowledged that work needed to be done by both sides. Calling on industry to enter into dialogue with the port authority, she said as part of a medium-term solution a task team had been formed – comprising the port authority, Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) and the City of Cape Town – to identify land to develop a staging facility. “We have a meeting scheduled for August 5,” she said. This staging area would, however, be outside the port. “All of the pockets of land inside the port are not available because of the high voltage power lines under the ground,” said Tukani. “As part of our long-term plan we will develop a truck staging facility that will be able to accommodate 1.4m TEUs per annum. This project will be realised in the next five years.”