TPT blames weather and strikes as truckers suspend protest

Transnet Port Terminals
(TPT) has blamed the
congestion at Durban’s
container terminals that
almost led to truckers
embarking on a “passive
resistance” air horn protest
last week on inclement
weather conditions and trade
union mass action and has
assured the industry of its
commitment to operational
efficiency.
Truckers threatened to
blow their air horns every
hour on the hour for two days
starting last Thursday after
the Durban Harbour Carriers’
Association sent an email
to Transnet management
demanding that the ongoing
congestion problems, which
recently led to delays of up to
48 hours, be resolved.
Sue Moodley, chairperson
of the association, which
represents more than 200
transporters, said members
where “fed up” with the
congestion which was
impacting their businesses.
“Despite many years of
on-going meetings with
Transnet about their
‘challenges’ in the terminals
and particularly over the
past 18-24 months, trucks
continue to be delayed for
unacceptably long periods
and way too often when
delivering or collecting
containers at the Durban
terminals. There have
been many promises about
various plans to alleviate
the situation but the delays
continue from one month to
the next,” Moodley said in the
email.
“The ‘challenges’ today
are not unlike the challenges
Transnet had up to ten
years ago and the same
explanations today can no
longer be accepted. It has
now also become apparent
that our opinions are being
ignored by Transnet, as
in the case of the truck
appointment system which
has failed for the umpteenth
time,” she said.
There were 24-hour
delays before a transporter
could make a booking and
the queue for non-booked
slots was not being serviced,
she added.
The trucking industry
had reached an impasse
where it had lost faith in the
consultation process and
demanded more effective
action, she pointed out,
and the air horn protest
would continue “until
the turnaround time for
trucks is within agreed
parameters, transporters
are compensated for
unacceptably long delays
arising as a result of
the terminals’ inability
to service them within
reasonably agreed time
frames, and until drivers
can come to work knowing
they won’t be forced to deal
with inhumane treatment
by having to spend more
than a normal working day,
and even up to two days at 
times, stuck in their vehicles
in queues”.
But by Thursday morning
Moodley said the port
had managed to clear
the congestion and there
were no trucks queueing
to embark on the protest,
which was then suspended,
although she added that
truckers would protest when
congestion reoccurred.
TPT KZN regional
manager: business
planning and performance
monitoring, Thulasizwe
Dlamini, told FTW she
could not respond regarding
all of the terminals within
the port except for Durban
Container Terminals Pier
1 and Pier 2 regarding the
demands.
Dlamini said the port
had established platforms
to engage the trucking
industry, including a
monthly landside meeting
with management regarding
Pier 1 and Pier 2 and a workgroup
which met bi-weekly
regarding the truck
appointment system.
“We do acknowledge
the challenges we have
experienced during the last
few weeks, unfortunately
most of which were caused by
inclement weather conditions
and the recent Cosatu mass
action, coinciding with
a high volume period,”
Dlamini said.
“The reality at this point
is that, should landside
operations stop for a day or
two at the terminals for any
reason, trucks continue to
build up and the recovery
takes longer due to the fact
that the terminal’s resources
people are limited – (there
is) no space for RTGs, reach
stackers, straddle/STS
cranes,” Dlamini said.
She added that she had
engaged directly with
Moodley when she received
the email last week.
“It seems she was under
the impression the traffic
congestion experienced
earlier in the day was
caused by the two container
terminals. This was not the
case. The congestion was
caused by a truck broken
down on the middle of
Bayhead Road, which was
exacerbated by the buildup
of bulks and trucks
destined for IVS (Island
View Shipping),” she said.
“Pier 1 has experienced
wind, and stopped for 10
hours, 12 RTGs have since
been deployed to landside to
work through the backlog,
enabled by the fact that
Pier 1 has one vessel on the
berth,” Dlamini said.
“We do remain
committed to giving
the industry the best
turnaround time
and working with all
stakeholders to improve
operational efficiency and
service to our customers.”