Following an urgent meeting with road freight stakeholders and related industry operators at the Port of Richards Bay, Transnet has been presented with suggestions for ways to reduce the congestion on routes leading to the port.
The state-owned company (SOC) referred to the meeting as an example of its willingness to work with all players to find solutions.
The meeting also followed a threat by the logistics utility to stop the delivery of freight to the port, which elicited an angry response by many parties, one of them being the Road Freight Association.
The meeting was attended by clients of the SOC, local businesses, civil society, and other stakeholders.
Transnet regional corporate manager, Msawakhe Mayisela, said this was done “in the interest of public road safety and as a demonstration that the coal terminal is committed to conducting its business in a sustainable manner.
“Local businesses presented proposals of pockets of land to be used for truck staging, as an interim measure.
“Transnet acting group chief executive, Michelle Phillips, directed port management to develop a comprehensive plan of action that will be in the interest of all stakeholders.
She said Transnet is prioritising measures to ensure that the rail network is back on track with speed.
“It was also agreed that the embargo on vessel nominations for vessels carrying road cargo toRichards Bay is going to stay in place until further notice, in the interests of the safety of all the port’s stakeholders.
“The decision will be reviewed once a solution has been found to the influx of trucks in the City of Umhlathuze, which has resulted in extensive traffic congestion.”
Mayisela said the terminal is only processing trucks for vessels accepted and appearing on the port’s barchart, a schedule of ships showing berthing time, cargo to be loaded and the tonnage.
“This week’s meeting preceded a visit by President Cyril Ramaphosa to the port on Thursday, at which he was briefed on the rationale behind the decision and the status of the conveyor belts that were damaged by fire in 2021.
“Repairs to one of them are due to be finished in December, paving the way for it to be commissioned at the beginning of 2024,” a post-meeting statement says.
“Once the conveyor belts are in full operation, an estimated 400 trucks that currently shuttle cargo from the back of the port to the coal terminal will be taken off the road, easing traffic congestion.
“Contracts for repairing the remaining two conveyor belts are expected to be awarded soon, with a strong possibility of them coming online in mid-2024.”
