Transnet Port Terminals
had made some strides
in addressing truck
congestion at the port
of Durban, said Zeph Ndlovu,
general manager at Transnet
Port Terminals (TPT).
Speaking to FTW on the side
lines of the Africa Cargo Show
2016 – held in Johannesburg last
week – Ndlovu said the port was
working closely with the Durban
Harbour Carriers' Association
(DHCA) and cargo owners to
ensure that trucks entering
the port used the mandatory
appointment system to book a
slot for cargo collection.
He said this had been
introduced after the
successful completion of a
pilot project at the port where
truck turnaround time was
“significantly reduced” when
transporters booked a delivery
or collection slot.
“Unfortunately, Langeberg
Road in Bayhead is currently
the only artery connection
into and out of the port but
if transporters stick to the
scheduling system, road
congestion can also be avoided,”
said Ndlovu.
He added that
transporters
would be pushed
to the back
of the queue
should they miss
their scheduled
slot but that
vehicles or fleets
with over 50
containers to
deliver or collect
at one time
would always be
given priority.
“What many perhaps don’t
know is that we offer three
days of free storage at the port
before closing the stacks and
we encourage cargo owners
and transporters to fully utilise
that window of opportunity,”
Ndlovu commented.
FTW spoke to Ndlovu a
day after the Transnet group’s
annual results were released,
and confirmed that the
port of Durban had seen an
improvement in average ship
working hours (SWH) with the
Durban Container Terminal’s
(DCT) Pier 1
SWH improving
from an average
of 48 to 53
moves while
DCT Pier 2
recorded an
increase from 58
to 63 moves.
“We are
continuously
evaluating our
operational
efficiency and
investing in all
aspects affecting productivity at
the port,” he said.
Ndlovu admitted that
Transnet, and TPT, had seen
some “tough times” but that
the Market Demand Strategy
would continue “full steam
ahead”. “We are looking at the
most cost-effective solutions
but we are still on track to meet
our objectives,” he said.
INSERT & CAPTION
Truck turnaround
time was significantly
reduced when
transporters booked
a slot.
– Zeph Ndlovu
TPT addresses road congestion in Durban
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