The Port of Durban has harnessed the power of technology to keep communication lines open with its customers during the Covid-19 lockdown – and it’s helping to address bottlenecks as the port navigates this challenging period.
Every day the port holds a daily virtual stakeholder operations meeting which is led by GM: Port of Durban, Moshe Motlohi, and includes representatives of shipping lines, all terminal operators, the trucking fraternity and depots.
“The meeting enables every stakeholder to be kept up to speed with daily operational plans,” says Motlohi. “For the first time we have players who have never met now coming together to look at the entire port plan and identify the bottlenecks as they shift from one node to another. The insight derived from this has been useful because we have been able to advise authorities around the impact of some of these regulations.”
The South African Association of Ship Operators and Agents (Saasoa), South African Association of Freight Forwarders (Saaff), TNPA, TPT and the Citrus Growers’ Association are just some of the key participants.
The Port of Durban Decongestion Task Team is another multi-stakeholder initiative which sees various private and public sector representatives working to tackle traffic pressure and congestion in the Port of Durban’s Bayhead Precinct and surrounding road networks.
