Ongoing complaints about truck congestion outside the Port of Cape Town have forced officials to set up an interim area for transporters. According to a spokesman for Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA), work has already started on developing an immediate truck staging area outside the port. This will provide much-needed relief in the short-term, while the port goes ahead with its long-term plan for a new truck staging facility. TNPA earlier this year announced plans to build a large truck staging area in accordance with its Phase 2B extension at the Port of Cape Town which will see the Cape Town Container Terminal capacity increased to 1.4 million TEUs. Currently in its pre-feasibility phase, this staging area is expected to be fully operational by 2025. The port, however, has been criticised by transporters who say truck queues are long and slow, with no ablution facilities available for drivers. According to the Harbour Carriers’ Association, the current waiting time for a truck outside the port is six to eight hours. Addressing the Port Liaison Forum, an initiative of the Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry, TNPA officials said they realised there was a need for a short-term solution and had therefore started work on developing an interim truck staging area
“We are working closely with the City of Cape Town and Transnet properties – and several sites have been identified as suitable for a temporary truck staging area,” said the official. Port manager Mpumi Dweba Kwetana confirmed that a temporary truck staging area was on the cards. Officials have already conducted site inspections and a decision on the chosen site is expected within the next few days. Two of the proposed sites are believed to be in the Culemborg facility at the port, while another is in the port industrial precinct. Kwetana said once a final decision had been taken on the site, work would commence to surface and prepare the area to allow for trucks to park and ablution and other necessary facilities for drivers would be installed. While TNPA has not given a timeline for the staging area, truckers across the Cape have welcomed the move saying the willingness of port officials to not only hear, but address their concerns was a significant move forward for the industry.
IMAGE WITH CAPTION
CT port manager Mpumi Dweba Kwetana