Mounting concerns over truck congestion and its impact on fruit exports have prompted Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) to put on hold its newly introduced process at the Port of Cape Town’s Interim Truck Holding Area (Itha).
At an emergency meeting held with transporters on Tuesday afternoon, Transnet officials agreed to suspend the ticketing system it introduced on December 30. The new system required that every truck entering the port of Cape Town first be processed at the truck staging area, where drivers were issued with a manual ticket before heading to terminal gates. The move resulted in complete chaos inside and outside the port, with kilometres-long queues of trucks. The situation was exacerbated as transporters, due to the delays at the Itha, were then unable to meet their Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) truck booking appointments.
The system, described by transporters as “ludicrous”, “ill-conceived”, and “unnecessary”, was introduced by TNPA as part of a strategy to ensure that no trucks without booking appointments enter the port and cause congestion at terminal gates.
During the meeting, TNPA officials agreed to suspend the system and return to the drawing board. On Wednesday morning trucks were again allowed to move directly to terminal gates, while the staging area was once again being used for its original purpose – the overflow of vehicles in the port.
Several transporters Freight News spoke to welcomed the decision by TNPA, saying the 3.4km round trip within the port had come at a huge cost, particularly affecting fruit exports. “We are in the middle of the grape season, and the apple season is just about to kick off. We simply cannot have this kind of congestion in the port while trying to move perishables.”
TNPA has tentatively informed transporters that it plans to implement the system by March 1 this year but will, in the interim, meet with its TPT counterparts to deliver a better solution. Transporters, in turn, agreed to come up with a system of proof of their booking appointment at whatever terminal they are visiting.
“The discussions with Transnet were very constructive,” said a transporter. “They heard what we were saying and immediately stepped in to rectify the situation. It is just a pity that they don’t speak to us before they implement these kinds of systems because we have had two weeks of chaos in the port that came at a huge cost to our industry. It is also clear that TNPA and TPT are not in discussion with each other either. The other issue here, of course, is that TPT runs an automated system and TNPA introduced a manual process. It was doomed from the get-go. It could never have worked.”
South African Association of Freight Forwarders (Saaff) consultant Mike Walwyn said while the suspension of the new system was commendable, the situation that had unfolded at the port over the past few days was concerning. “There is strong evidence here of a disconnect between TNPA who manage the staging areas, and TPT who want the containers in the terminal,” he said, indicating that it was of critical importance that this be addressed sooner rather than later.
